Step by Step Format Linux partition ext3 on Linux Fedora USB hard disk

   To use any new hard disk device on Linux Fedora system, the hard disk device need to have a filesystem.  In order to put the filesystem on new hard disk, you need to create partition on hard disk and then format the hard disk with the Linux filesystem ext3 or Windows filesystem type (vfat).  After the partitioning and formatting, then disk is ready to be use. The step by step article below show how to format the external USB disk and build the ext3 Linux file system on the disk.  Note that the procedure to make or format Linux ext3 partition below is executed and tested on Linux Fedora 10.

Format Linux Partition.

The mkfs command is use to make or format ext3 partition as show on the example below.  The example below show two ways or two mkfs command that you can use to make or format the ext3 partition:

1.  first command:   mkfs -t ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1 -> the (-t) for filesystem type, the (-v) verbose output, the (-L) for filesystem label.

2.  Second command:   mkfs.ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1 -> the (-v) verbose output, the (-L) for filesystem label.

Note: Only use either one of the fdisk command above to make the ext3 partition.

Using mkfs command to format Linux partition:  mkfs -t ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1

[root@fedora ~]# mkfs -t ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1

mke2fs 1.41.3 (12-Oct-2008)

fs_types for mke2fs.conf resolution: 'ext3', 'default'

Filesystem label=usbdisk

OS type: Linux

Block size=4096 (log=2)

Fragment size=4096 (log=2)

2444624 inodes, 9767420 blocks

488371 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user

First data block=0

Maximum filesystem blocks=0

299 block groups

32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group

8176 inodes per group

Superblock backups stored on blocks:

        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208,

        4096000, 7962624

Writing inode tables: done

Creating journal (32768 blocks): done

Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 35 mounts or

180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.

[root@fedora ~]#

or use mkfs.ext3 command to format Linux partition:  mkfs.ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1

[root@fedora ~]# mkfs.ext3 -v -L usbdisk /dev/sdb1

mke2fs 1.41.3 (12-Oct-2008)

fs_types for mke2fs.conf resolution: 'ext3', 'default'

Filesystem label=usbdisk

OS type: Linux

Block size=4096 (log=2)

Fragment size=4096 (log=2)

2444624 inodes, 9767420 blocks

488371 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user

First data block=0

Maximum filesystem blocks=0

299 block groups

32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group

8176 inodes per group

Superblock backups stored on blocks:

        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208,

        4096000, 7962624

Writing inode tables: done

Creating journal (32768 blocks): done

Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information: done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 36 mounts or

180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.

[root@fedora ~]#

Keywords: format linux partition, format fedora partition, fedora format partition, format ext3 partition, using mkfs, using mkfs.ext3, format linux