Formatting a USB module

Gins · 01-11-2009, 11:04 AM

I am struggling to format a USB module using Mandriva 2009.

When I insert a USB module, the system in Mandriva recognizes it as 'sdc'.

I created a folder called 'usbflash' inside the /mnt folder. This will help me to mount, unmount and format USB modules.

Code:

[root@localhost ni]# cd /mnt
[root@localhost mnt]# ls
usbflash/ 
 win_c/  
win_c2/  
win_d/
[root@localhost mnt]#

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# fdisk -l
Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes

Disk /dev/sdc: 416 MB, 416328704 bytes
13 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 806 * 512 = 412672 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x73696420

Code:

[root@localhost ~]# mkfs -t ext3 /mnt/usbflash
mke2fs 1.41.2 (02-Oct-2008)
/mnt/usbflash is not a block special device.
Proceed anyway? (y,n)

I selected yes and got the following error message:
mkfs.ext3: Device size reported to be zero. Invalid partition specified, or partition table wasn't reread after running fdisk, due to
a modified partition being busy and in use. You may need to reboot
to re-read your partition table.

What is the meaning of the above error message?
I know the existence of character special and block special in UNIX files.

How do I format a USB module?

I think the command 'mkfs -t ext3 /mnt/usbflash' is correct

Why did I get the above strange message?

Please help me to format a USB module.

The module I want to format has some data from a Windows based program. I don't need those data.

colucix · 01-11-2009, 11:30 AM

I think you cannot specify a device using its mount point in the mkfs command. You have to type the name of the block device /dev/something in the command line.

Moreover, the output of fdisk -l (if not cutted) shows there is no partition on the disk. So you may want first create a partition using fdisk (it will be named /dev/hdc1) then run the mkfs command on /dev/sdc1.

In addition, you should have the mkfs.ext3 command on your system, which is a sort of alias for mkfs that set the proper options for you.

Gins · 01-11-2009, 12:53 PM

Thanks colucix.

I did what you thought though I didn't post it.
Here I am posting it.

Code:

[root@localhost ni]# mkfs -t ext3 /mnt/sdc
mke2fs 1.41.2 (02-Oct-2008)
Could not stat /mnt/sdc --- No such file or directory

The device apparently does not exist; did you specify it correctly?
[root@localhost ni]#

Code:

[root@localhost ni]# mkfs -t ext3 /mnt/sdc1
mke2fs 1.41.2 (02-Oct-2008)
Could not stat /mnt/sdc1 --- No such file or directory

The device apparently does not exist; did you specify it correctly?
[root@localhost ni]#

Gins · 01-11-2009, 12:58 PM

The following is the description of the drives and partitions.

Code:

[root@localhost ni]# fdisk -l                                

Disk /dev/sda: 250.0 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x24312430                     

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1               2       26912   216162607+   5  Extended
/dev/sda2   *       26913       30402    28025856    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5               2        8955    71922973+  83  Linux    
/dev/sda6            8956       18034    72927036   83  Linux    
/dev/sda7           18035       26912    71312503+  83  Linux    

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0xdd98dd98                     

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1       13057   104880321    7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2           13058       22724    77650177+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb3           22725       31836    73192140   83  Linux    
/dev/sdb4           31837       59748   224203140    5  Extended 
/dev/sdb5           40791       49744    71922973+  83  Linux    
/dev/sdb6           49745       58698    71922973+  83  Linux    
/dev/sdb7           58699       59748     8434093+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sdb8           31837       40790    71922942   83  Linux               

Partition table entries are not in disk order

Disk /dev/sdc: 416 MB, 416328704 bytes
13 heads, 62 sectors/track, 1008 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 806 * 512 = 412672 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x73696420                  

This doesn't look like a partition table
Probably you selected the wrong device. 

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdc1   ?     2382074     3057554   272218546+  20  Unknown
Partition 1 has different physical/logical beginnings (non-Linux?):
     phys=(356, 97, 46) logical=(2382073, 1, 59)                   
Partition 1 has different physical/logical endings:                
     phys=(357, 116, 40) logical=(3057553, 5, 23)
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc2   ?     1650353     2319058   269488144   6b  Unknown
Partition 2 has different physical/logical beginnings (non-Linux?):
     phys=(288, 110, 57) logical=(1650352, 7, 57)
Partition 2 has different physical/logical endings:
     phys=(269, 101, 57) logical=(2319057, 8, 52)
Partition 2 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc3   ?      668722     2403663   699181456   53  OnTrack DM6 Aux3
Partition 3 has different physical/logical beginnings (non-Linux?):
     phys=(345, 32, 19) logical=(668721, 4, 18)
Partition 3 has different physical/logical endings:
     phys=(324, 77, 19) logical=(2403662, 11, 49)
Partition 3 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sdc4   *     1730308     1730334       10668+  49  Unknown
Partition 4 has different physical/logical beginnings (non-Linux?):
     phys=(87, 1, 0) logical=(1730307, 3, 36)
Partition 4 has different physical/logical endings:
     phys=(335, 78, 2) logical=(1730333, 9, 44)
Partition 4 does not end on cylinder boundary.

Partition table entries are not in disk order
[root@localhost ni]

colucix · 01-11-2009, 03:30 PM

Looking at the output of fdisk -l, it looks like the partition scheme on /dev/sdc is completely messed up. Can you confirm /dev/sdc is the device you want to format? It appears to be of size 416 MB, is it a USB pen drive (or memory stick as you may want to call it)?

Ok. These are the steps:

1) you have to delete the existing partitions on /dev/sdc, since I guess you don't need 4 partitions on a half Gigabyte device, don't you?

2) you have to create a single partition spanning all the volume size. You will end up with /dev/sdc1 only.

3) Format the newly created partition using

Code:

mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdc1

note that to specify the block device you have to type the device name on the command line, that is /dev/sdc1 (not the mount point or anything else, like in your last example where you put /mnt/sdc). The name of a block device is always /dev/something (look at the content of the /dev directory to see how many block, character and special devices you have on your system)!

To accomplish the first two tasks in the list above I suggest the fdisk command, since it is the tool you have at hand. If you're not used to this command I suggest to read a good tutorial and the fdisk's man page before trying anything. Otherwise you can try a graphical front-end like gparted. In any case, be sure to not touch your other existing devices, /dev/sda and /dev/sdb.