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In Linux, you can format a floppy disk as a DOS disk or a Linux disk. The first floppy drive in Linux is {{{/dev/fd0}}} and the second one is {{{/dev/fd1}}}. If you are using the second floppy drive, then just replace {{{/dev/fd0}}} with {{{/dev/fd1}}} in these instructions.

== Formatting with a Linux filesystem ==

If you want a blank Linux formatted floppy, then you can use the command mke2fs. This will create an ext2 formatted disk.
{{{
mke2fs /dev/fd0
}}}

== Formatting with a DOS filesystem ==

First, you will need to install the '''dosfstools''' package:
{{{
aptitude install dosfstools
}}}

Then format the floppy:
{{{
mkfs.msdos /dev/fd0
}}}

To format a floppy disk for DOS, writing an empty MS-DOS filesystem to the disk in the process, use '''mformat''', which is in the '''mtools''' package:
{{{
aptitude install mtools
}}}

Give the name of the "drive letter" as an argument of the disk to be formatted. Remember, when you format a disk, any existing information contained on the disk is lost.

To format the floppy disk in the primary floppy drive so that it can be used with MS-DOS, type like [[root]] user:
{{{
mformat a: 
}}}

== See Also ==
 * [[Format]]
 * http://prophit.maincube.net/doc/fdutils/Fdutils.htm
 * http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/Format_Floppy.html for Gnome in [[DebPkg:gnome-utils]]