[SOLVED] How to format USB pen drive as FAT32

[satimis]

Hi folks,

Debian 5.0

I need to format an USB pen drive as DOS FAT32 but I can't find;

mkfs
mkfs.vfat
mkdosfs

Please advise which package shall I install? OR are there other ways round? TIA


B.R.
satimis

[oz]

Easiest way in my opinion is gparted. I usually run it from any liveCD but it also works well if you have it installed on your system with any unmounted partitions.

The Parted Magic LiveCD makes easy work of partitioning chores.

[jayd512]

I'm with ozar.
gParted is your friend.

[satimis]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your advice.

I only need to reformat the USB pen stick(8G). Gparted is already running.

$ apt-cache policy gparted

gparted:
  Installed: 0.3.8-1+b1
  Candidate: 0.3.8-1+b1
  Version table:
 *** 0.3.8-1+b1 0
        500 http://ftp.hk.debian.org lenny/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000102e7

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       77495   622478556   83  Linux
/dev/sda2           77496       77825     2650725    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           77496       77825     2650693+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 7969 MB, 7969177600 bytes
221 heads, 20 sectors/track, 3521 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4420 * 512 = 2263040 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               2        3522     7778304    b  W95 FAT32

$ sudo gparted /dev/sdb1
delete all the content inside. But I can't reformat it.

On
New -> Creating partition

FAT32 is greyout. Please help.


TIA

B.R.
satimis

[PCNetSpec]

Check you have the dosfstools package installed

[satimis]

Check you have the dosfstools package installed

Hi,


I got it. Thanks


$ sudo gparted /dev/sdb1

New -> Partition -> selecting FAt32

Create Primary Partition #1 (fat32, 7.42 GiB) on /dev/sdb1

Single partition (without partition)


B.R.
satimis

[oz]

You can see what extra software is required along with gparted for each of the file system types here:

GParted -- Features

[zenwalker]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your advice.

I only need to reformat the USB pen stick(8G). Gparted is already running.

$ apt-cache policy gparted

gparted:
  Installed: 0.3.8-1+b1
  Candidate: 0.3.8-1+b1
  Version table:
 *** 0.3.8-1+b1 0
        500 xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 640.1 GB, 640135028736 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 77825 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000102e7

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1       77495   622478556   83  Linux
/dev/sda2           77496       77825     2650725    5  Extended
/dev/sda5           77496       77825     2650693+  82  Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 7969 MB, 7969177600 bytes
221 heads, 20 sectors/track, 3521 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 4420 * 512 = 2263040 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1               2        3522     7778304    b  W95 FAT32

$ sudo gparted /dev/sdb1
delete all the content inside. But I can't reformat it.

On
New -> Creating partition

FAT32 is greyout. Please help.


TIA

B.R.
satimis

You were almost there, manually, as well -- all necessary was to write the partition table just created. Do this with

 w 
  

Then, format the newly created USB stick:

 mkfs -t vfat -n [name] /dev/sdb1 
  

And you're done!

Not to step on anyone but you, satimis, did ask if there was another way! I'm glad you accomplished what you set out to do!

The support here is great, isn't it?! exes because of the rule about posting URLs -- even as a quote (-- rules are an ***, as the English paraphrase goes)

[satimis]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your advice.

Problem solved by running;

$ sudo gparted /dev/sdb

NOT
$ sudo gparted /dev/sdb1

then I can directly format the drive there

B.R.
satimis