FTL_FORMAT(1)                                       FTL_FORMAT(1)

NAME
       ftl_format - Flash Translation Layer formatting utility

SYNOPSIS
       ftl_format [-q] [-i] [-s spare] [-r reserve] [-b bootsize]
       device

DESCRIPTION
       Ftl_format creates a Flash Translation Layer partition  on
       a  flash memory device.  It needs to access the flash par-
       tition's raw character-mode device (such as /dev/mem0c0c).

       This  is  actually  a low-level format operation, required
       before accessing a memory device via the FTL block  device
       driver.   Once  a partition is prepared with ftl_format, a
       filesystem should be created in a separate step.  Filesys-
       tem  commands  should access the device via the FTL device
       file (such as /dev/ftl0).

       Optionally, ftl_format can reserve a region at the  begin-
       ning  of the flash card address space for a boot image (or
       any other purpose).  The boot area is not part of the  FTL
       partition,  and  can  only  be accessed via the raw memory
       device.

       On Intel Series 100 flash cards, the first flash block  is
       used  to store the card's configuration information struc-
       tures.  If no boot area is specified on the command  line,
       ftl_format will automatically create one to span the first
       block.

OPTIONS
       -q     Quiet mode: don't print formatting statistics.

       -i     Interactive: confirm before beginning the format.

       -s spare
              Reserve the specified number  of  erase  blocks  as
              spares.   The default is 1.  A read-write partition
              requires at least one spare block.

       -r reserve
              Reserve the specified percentage of the total space
              on  the  device  to  improve write efficiency.  The
              default is 5%.  Reserving less space increases  the
              frequency of flash erase operations to reclaim free
              blocks.

       -b bootsize
              Requests that  a  portion  of  the  flash  card  be
              reserved  for  a  boot  image.   The  size  will be
              rounded up to an integral number of erase blocks.

AUTHOR
       David Hinds - dhinds@hyper.stanford.edu

SEE ALSO
       ftl_cs(4), ftl_check(8).

pcmcia-cs              1998/05/04 23:27:57                      1