Caution: Formatting a disk results in the loss of all data on the disk. It is recommended only for experienced IRIX system administrators. Formatting a disk destroys information about bad areas on the disk (called bad blocks). Identifying and handling bad blocks is also done by fx; see the fx(1M) reference page for details.
Caution: Using fx for bad block handling usually results in the loss of all data on the block. It is recommended only for experienced IRIX system administrators. Initializing a disk consists of creating a volume header for a disk. Disks supplied by Silicon Graphics are shipped with a volume header, and initialization isn't necessary. Disks from third-party vendors or disks whose volume headers have been destroyed must be initialized to create a volume header. Initializing disks is done by fx. No explicit commands are necessary; fx automatically notices if no volume header is present and creates one. (See the section "Repartitioning a Disk With fx" in this chapter for information on invoking fx.) When fx creates a volume header, a prompt asks if you want to write the volume header; reply yes.
Tip: You can use the Disk Information window of the Disk Manager in the System Toolchest to perform disk initialization and other tasks. For more information, see the section "Formatting, Verifying, and Remaking Filesystems on a Fixed Disk" in Chapter 6 of the Personal System Administration Guide.