low-level formatter for linux

[Markus Kesaromous]

----------------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 4 Aug 2009 19:13:13 -0700
> From: peter.langfelder at gmail.com
> To: fedora-list at redhat.com
> Subject: Re: low-level formatter for linux
>
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 6:58 PM, Markus Kesaromous wrote:
>>
>> I canvassed the web looking for a linux util that will
>> low-level format a hard drive, and found noting but
>> dos and windows tools.
>> Is there a low-level HD formatter for linux?
>>
>> Markus K.
>>
>
> How low is low? mkfs will build a file system of a specified type,
> i.e. format a partition with a given file system. It is a command-line
> utility and so low level in my book, but maybe not in yours.
>
> HTH
>
> Peter
>
> --
> fedora-list mailing list
> fedora-list at redhat.com
> To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
> Guidelines: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Communicate/MailingListGuidelines

Sorry I did not clarify - By low level, I do  not mean Filesystem creation.
I mean it the level at which bad-block forwarding takes place (i.e. all
blocks are tested for sanity, and the bad blocks are forwarded to good blocks. This  in some cases may result in reduced total number of blocks,
and thus might (emphasis on might) affect the disk geometry.

In the bad old days, we used to do low lever format of a disk using a dos asm command and hand enter a set of instructions.

I do not recall what those instructions were, and I am not certain they would work on a 500GB drive.

Now that all I have is linux, and my HD has developed many bad blocks,
I need to back it up and do low level formatting. So, I need a Linux based
low level formatting tool.

Cheers,

Markus K.

_________________________________________________________________
Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. 
http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/personalize.aspx?ocid=PID23391::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HYGN_express:082009