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(fdutils.info)Introduction

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Introduction
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   Fdutils-5.0 introduces a new uniform format description, which is
supported both by setfdprm and superformat.  The new format description
is easyer to handle, because it allows to set the different parameters
of a format description in a symbolic and position independant way,
using a series of _variable=value_ clauses.  Moreover, it automatically
fills in sensible default values for unspecified parameters.  Thus you
only need to describe those aspects of the format that are important to
you, and let the system handle the others.

   Moreover, the new description separates those aspects that were
specific to the drive (like for instance its rotation speed) from those
that are specific to the media (spacial density, number of sectors,
etc.).

   The same description can be used both by setfdprm and superformat:
     setfdprm /dev/fd0 hd sect=21 cyl=83
     superformat /dev/fd0 hd sect=21 cyl=83

   The first line above configures a 21 sector/83 cylinder format for
drive 0, and the second line formats a disk using this same format.