Installation guide

46 Chapter 4. Diskettes and CD-ROMs
Figure 4-3. gfloppy Status Box
4.1.4.2. Using KDE Floppy Formatter
Another way to format a diskette for either ext2 or MS-DOS is to use KDE Floppy Formatter. To
start the utility, go to Start Application => Utilities => KFloppy (Floppy Formatter). You will be
presented with a graphical interface shown in Figure 4-4.
Figure 4-4. KDE Floppy Formatter
Insert a diskette that you wish to format and choose whether you want a Quick Format or Full
Format by choosing the appropriate radio button. To check for bad sectors or blocks on the diskette
while formatting, choose Verify Integrity in the associated check box.
To begin formatting, click the Format button. A window will pop-up asking if you wish to format the
diskette. Click Continue to dismiss this window and begin formatting. A status bar will appear at the
bottom of the window showing the status of the format. After the diskette has been formatted, a final
window will appear to inform you of a successful format. Click OK, remove the diskette, and click
Quit to close the application.
4.1.4.3. Using mke2fs
The mke2fs command is used to create a Linux ext2 file system on a device such as a hard drive
partition or (in this case) a floppy diskette. mke2fs essentially formats the device and creates an
empty, Linux-compatible device which can then be used for storing files and data.
Insert your diskette into the drive and issue the following command at a shell prompt:
/sbin/mke2fs /dev/fd0