# Format Command

**URL:** <https://community.unix.com/t/format-command/139073>\
**Category:** UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers\
**Created:** [July 24, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/format-command/139073 "2001-07-24T23:06:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![yestoprop69](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/yestoprop69/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@yestoprop69](https://community.unix.com/u/yestoprop69)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/format-command/139073/1 "2001-07-24T23:06:07Z")

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The reason I cannot install the Software Companion CD is that I have a hardrive that is 10GB. On my root slice/partition there is allocated 900MB, on my /export/home slice I have 8GB for use (these values were set by default on install). The software companion tries to install 600MB into my /opt folder on my harddrive, 600MB, which I do not have. So, I was told I should unmount the /export/home drive, then partition it into two slices, each around 4GB. Then remount /export/home to one slice and then mount /opt to the other slice and this should give me the correct amount of space I need to install the Software Companion CD. I'm having problems splitting up the 8GB /export/home into two slices. I umount /export/home, and then I used the format command, typed in partition, typed in the old partition number, 7, and I resized that partition. Then I tried to create the new partition or slice, by changing the values to an unassigned partition. Is this the correct way to do it? I then did the save option from the format command, and when I rebooted, it came up with an error, what am I doing wrong, Nathan.

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**Author:** ![ober5861](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/ober5861/32/18_2.png) [@ober5861](https://community.unix.com/u/ober5861)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2001, 8:18am UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/format-command/139073/2 "2001-07-25T08:18:39Z")

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What OS are you running?

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**Author:** ![JHeliosfear](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/jheliosfear/32/5_5575768a8748004e209b776fc1b2916d.png) [@JHeliosfear](https://community.unix.com/u/JHeliosfear)\
**Post date:** [July 25, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/format-command/139073/3 "2001-07-25T12:47:11Z")

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I believe that I know what your problem is. I believe that your formatting is not the issue, PROVIDED THAT YOU HAVE NOT OVERLAPPED CYLINDERS:-) What you either omitted to say or what you were not instructed to do is to edit /etc/vfstab

Once you have formatted and labelled the disk, do the following:

1. Take note of the logical device name (e.g. c0t0d0s5)  
Note: logical device name will henceforth be called "logdev"

2. Run "newfs -v /dev/dsk/\<logdev\>"

3. Run "fsck -y /dev/rdsk/\<logdev\>"

4. Verify that the mount point (/opt) already exists and, if not, make it.

5. Now, edit /etc/vfstab as follows:  
/dev/dsk/\<logdev\> /dev/rdsk/\<logdev /opt ufs 3 yes -

e.g. /dev/dsk/c0t0d0s5 /dev/rdsk/c0t0d0s5 /opt ufs 3 yes -  
Note: Separate each file entry with a tab and NOT a space.

1. mount /opt

2. Run "df -k" and verify that your file system has been mounted with the appropriate space allocated.

3. Reboot

Well, I hope that this helps you. Take care.