From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jul 8 12:10:14 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C1EBC106566C for ; Sun, 8 Jul 2012 12:10:14 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from wonkity.com (wonkity.com [67.158.26.137]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 615648FC16 for ; Sun, 8 Jul 2012 12:10:14 +0000 (UTC) Received: from wonkity.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by wonkity.com (8.14.5/8.14.5) with ESMTP id q68CA8xf047743 for ; Sun, 8 Jul 2012 06:10:08 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Received: from localhost (wblock@localhost) by wonkity.com (8.14.5/8.14.5/Submit) with ESMTP id q68CA8JW047740 for ; Sun, 8 Jul 2012 06:10:08 -0600 (MDT) (envelope-from wblock@wonkity.com) Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2012 06:10:08 -0600 (MDT) From: Warren Block To: FreeBSD In-Reply-To: Message-ID: References: User-Agent: Alpine 2.00 (BSF 1167 2008-08-23) MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: MULTIPART/MIXED; BOUNDARY="-902635197-1591772695-1341749408=:47599" X-Greylist: Sender IP whitelisted, not delayed by milter-greylist-4.2.7 (wonkity.com [127.0.0.1]); Sun, 08 Jul 2012 06:10:08 -0600 (MDT) Subject: Re: Format a USB flash drive using gpart X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2012 12:10:14 -0000 This message is in MIME format. The first part should be readable text, while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools. ---902635197-1591772695-1341749408=:47599 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8BIT On Sun, 8 Jul 2012, Carmel wrote: >> Yes, gpart will work with pretty much any storage device. >> >> If you want the drive to be bootable, it needs boot blocks. This is >> easier with GPT than MBR. For an 8G drive: >> >> # gpart create -s gpt da0 >> # gpart add -t freebsd-boot -s 512k da0 >> # gpart bootcode -b /boot/pmbr -p /boot/gptboot -i 1 da0 >> # gpart add -t freebsd-ufs -b 1M -s 7G da0 >> # gpart add -t freebsd-swap da0 >> # newfs -U /dev/da0p2 > > Thanks Warren, you win the prize for the most detailed answer. > Polytropon gave me the easiest answer if I just want to use the drive > as a simple storage device; however, if at some point I actually want > to go beyond that your answer is what I would require. > > Interestingly enough, I searched through the man pages and FreeBSD help > but never came across anything that specifically addressed flash drive. > Perhaps I was just not looking hard enough. FreeBSD sees no significant difference between a flash drive and a disk drive. They are treated the same. > Perhaps, and I know that this will offend some purists, but a nice GUI > that would do what your instructions detail above would be helpful. > There is no way that I am going to remember all of those instructions in > six months time. Just my 2ยข. bsdinstall(8) has a curses partition editor. There is probably a trick needed to use that outside of an install context. I find gpart easier. ---902635197-1591772695-1341749408=:47599--