On 09.07.02, 22:18:17, alias@netbsd.org wrote:
> 
> 8 partitions:
> #        size   offset     fstype   [fsize bsize cpg/sgs]
>   a:   512000        0      MSDOS                        # (Cyl.    0 - 999)

I had assumed it would create one d and one e entry for whole disk and
DOS partition. Is 512000 really the actual size of the usable area of
the card?

> 
> This seems reasonable, and matches what fdisk reports.
> > 
> > newfs_msdos [options] /dev/rwd1e
> 
> Here is what I've tried, with no luck:
> 
> # newfs_msdos /dev/rwd1a
> newfs_msdos: Cannot determine size, must use -f format
> # newfs_msdos /dev/wd1a  
> newfs_msdos: Cannot determine size, must use -f format
> # newfs_msdos -f 256000 /dev/wd1a
> newfs_msdos: Cannot find format description for 256000 KB
> 
> I must be doing something simple wrong.


Just to be sure: You are using -current or 1.6_BETA[x]?

newfs_msdos on NetBSD 1.5[.x] and prior can only format floppy disks
whose geometry is defined in /etc/floppytab. It cannot format hard
disk partitions.

Check the (hopefully accurate) man page for newfs_msdos, on 1.5[.x]
and earlier it should have a BUGS section saying that it currently has
no way to specify drive parameters and thus cannot format hard disk
partitions. With 1.6 these parameters were added, but I have not
tested that it actually works.

If you have created a valid DOS partition table with fdisk, though,
you should be able to format the partition with Windows 2000 or CE.

Did you try to run the Windows 2000 Disk Manager to create/destroy
partitions on the card? Otherwise I'm out of ideas. I never had
trouble formatting cards.

> 
> -russ

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