using floppy linux command from terminal

How to probe for floppy devices?
How to update or create floppy configuration file and overwrite existing /etc/floppy setup?
How to display available floppy drive with current configuration settings from /etc/floppy?
How to show capacity and format sizes with current floppy disk?
How to format floppy disk from terminal using floppy?
How to format a floppy with verification bit turned on from terminal using floppy?
How to create a FAT (DOS) floppy filesystem?
How to create a EXT2 (Linux) floppy filesystem

Man floppy says:
The floppy utility does low-level formatting of floppy disks. floppy uses a simple interface for formatting disks in floppy controller drives and in ATAPI IDE floppy drives, such as LS-120 "Superdisk" drives. ATAPI IDE support requires a patch to the Linux kernel. Without a patched kernel floppy can only format disks in floppy controller drives.

NOTE: Use caution in formatting anything other than standard 3.5" 1.4MB floppy disks in ATAPI IDE floppy drives. Most LS-120 drives, for example, accept a request to format 120MB high density disks, but most 120MB disks are not designed to be formatted. Low-level formatting will ruin them permanently.

Here's a quick way on handling floppy disk via CLI using floppy linux command. This blog entry assumes that all cables to your floppy drive are all working and properly connected. It is also assummed that a floppy disk is currently inserted into the floppy drive. Make sure you do not have any vital data with the floppy disk as we are going to work with it using the below commands.


How to probe for floppy devices?

# floppy -p

would give you similar results
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
floppy 0.12 Copyright 2001, Double Precision, Inc.
floppy /dev/fd0: 3.5" HD
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The above means, floppy had detected a single floppy drive and assigned it to /dev/fd0. The drive capacity is 3.5" HD .

How to update or create floppy configuration file and overwrite existing /etc/floppy setup?

# floppy --createrc >/etc/floppy

# cat /etc/floppy

would give you similar results like below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
floppy A /dev/fd0
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


How to display available floppy drive with current configuration settings from /etc/floppy?

# floppy --showrc


How to show capacity and format sizes with current floppy disk?

# floppy -c /dev/fd0


How to format floppy disk from terminal using floppy?

# floppy -f /dev/fd0


How to format a floppy with verification bit turned on from terminal using floppy?

# floppy -f -v /dev/fd0


How to create a FAT (DOS) floppy filesystem?

# floppy --fat -f /dev/fd0


How to create a EXT2 (Linux) floppy filesystem

# floppy --ext2 -f /dev/fd0


More info for floppy

# info floppy