Initializes the specified volume.
Format
INITIALIZE device-name label-string
1 – Parameter
device-name
Specification of the target EFI$CP device.
Only FAT12 and FAT16 operations are supported by this version of
EFI$CP, as are long file names. FAT32 is not supported.
The FAT12 volume structure does not permit arbitrary capacities.
Disks and partitions with fewer than 4085 clusters are always
FAT12, and the selected capacity must match one of the predefined
devices.
For operations on disk devices or partitions with capacities
within the FAT12 capacity range (1 to 8399 blocks, or from 1 to
4084 clusters, inclusive), the disk capacity must match that of a
recognized floppy device. Most commonly, this is either the 1.44
megabyte (2880 blocks) or the 2.88 megabyte (5760 blocks) floppy
disk, or an LD partition of a matching size, or a partition file
of a matching size. FAT12 access and initialization is entirely
table-based, per Microsoft Extensible Firmware Initiative FAT32
File System Specification.
For operations in the FAT16 range (of 8400 to 4194304 blocks,
inclusive), arbitrary disk capacities are supported.
FAT32 operations are not supported. Disks using FAT32, or equal
or larger than 4194304 blocks cannot be accessed.
Disks equal or larger than 2097152 blocks will often default
to FAT32, though EFI$CP will force disks in this capacity range
to FAT16 up to the FAT16 addressing limit of 4194304 blocks,
inclusive.
For additional related information, please see the EFI$_UNRECRX
error.
label-string
Alphanumeric string of from one to eleven characters, inclusive.
While permissible within the FAT specifications, EFI$CP does
not presently accept spaces and special characters within this
string.
If the label parameter is specified as a null string, the default
volume label NO NAME will be used; an unlabeled volume is not
permitted.
2 – Description
Formats the contents of the target volume.
This is the OpenVMS analog of the fdisk utility on various other
platforms.
3 – Qualifiers
3.1 /CONTIGUOUS
Requests the target partition be created contiguously. When used
to create SYS$EFI.SYS or SYS$DIAGNOSTICS.SYS or other similar
partition directly, the partition file must be contiguous.
Partition file volumes that will not be used for console-level
bootstrap operations or files that will be copied to another
volume (contiguously) before use for bootstrap need not be
created contiguously.
Must be specified only with /CREATE.
3.2 /CREATE
Requests the creation of a partition file.
Must be specified only with /DEVICE_ALIAS.
3.3 /DEVICE_ALIAS
/DEVICE_ALIAS=alias
/NODEVICE_ALIAS (default)
This qualifier selects the device name alias to be used for
references to a directly-accessed partition file; for direct
access to a partition file. The specified string will be the
device name for subsequent accesses.
The permissible character set for this string is that of devices;
the same symbol character set used for logical names. Like a
logical name, there is no requirement to mimic the OpenVMS device
name fields.
The specified alias must include a trailing colon.
3.4 /LABEL
/LABEL=(item[=keyword])
Specifies a volume label string to be synthesized, or a volume
label string to be obtained from an external source.
HOST_ DENSE Use the current OpenVMS host version string,
VERSION less any punctuation characters or spaces,
as the volume label, or as the suffix
portion of the volume label string. A
maximum of up to the first six characters of
the version string is used. Can be combined
with PREFIX_STRING, though the aggregate
label name string length limit remains 11
characters.
HOST_ UNDERSCORESUse the current OpenVMS host version
VERSION string, replacing all punctuation with
underscores, as the volume label, or as
the suffix portion of the volume label
string. A maximum of up to the first eight
characters of the version string is used.
Can be combined with PREFIX_STRING, though
the aggregate label name string length limit
remains 11 characters.
LOGICAL_ LNM Translates the specified logial name or,
NAME if no string is specified, translate the
logical name EFI$INIT_VOLUME_LABEL. Cannot
be combined with other items.
PREFIX_ PFX Use the specified string as the prefix for
STRING the volume label. A total of 11 characters
can be specified. Can be combined with HOST_
VERSION, though the aggregate label name
string length limit remains 11 characters.
3.5 /LOG
/LOG (default)
/NOLOG
Displays status-related and informational messages resulting from
the INITIALIZE request.
3.6 /OVERRIDE
/OVERRIDE=keyword
When used with the keyword GEOMETRY, this operation overrides
the FAT12 disk volume geometry requirement check. So long as
the FAT12 volume matches the FAT12 volume size requirements, the
volume structures will be initialized using the designated FAT12
geometry requirements values.
The geometry reported by the target device will not be altered.
To subsequently MOUNT the volume, see MOUNT/OVERRIDE=GEOMETRY.
3.7 /SIZE
/SIZE=size
Specifies the target volume size for a partition file creation.
Must be specified with /CREATE.
Within the range of volume capacities restricted to use of
the FAT12 volume structure, the specified size must match the
capacity of the recognized floppy devices. Typical floppy disk
capacities are 720, 1440, 2400, 2880, and 5760 blocks, with the
2880 block double-sided high density 3.5 inch floppy disk being
the most common choice.
To create a FAT16 volume, the specified size must be between
8400 and 1048576 blocks (512 megabytes) for the default FAT16
structures, though this tool does allow volumes to be FAT16 up to
4194304 blocks (2 gigabytes); up to the theoretical limit of the
FAT16 volume structure.
Attempts to create volumes above 2 gigabytes in capacity are
rejected; this is a hard upper-capacity limit within this tool.
Volumes of 2 gigabytes through larger must utilize FAT32 volume
structures, and this tool does not presently support the creation
of nor any operation with FAT32 volume structures.
Must be specified only with /CREATE.
3.8 /STRUCTURE
/STRUCTURE=(header=keyword,partition=digit,volume=keyword)
Determines the specifics of the structure.
Qualifier Not Yet Implemented.
HEADER GPT reserved for MBR-GPT header creation
HEADER MBR Creates an MBR-format partition header
HEADER NONE No partition header is created; the entire
volume is used.
PARTITION digit Specifies a partition entry; a digit between
zero and four inclusive
VOLUME EFI Creates an EFI-typed FAT volume
VOLUME FAT Creates a natively-typed FAT volume
VOLUME DIAGNOSTIC reserved
EFI$CP> INITIALIZE DVA0: "HELLO"
EFI$CP> MOUNT DVA0: HELLO
%EFI-I-SEEKMBR, searching for Master Boot Record
%EFI-I-ONEPART, single-partition volume; no Master Boot Record partitioning
%EFI-I-SEEKBPB, searching for BIOS Parameter Block
%EFI-I-SEEKBPBOK, valid BIOS Parameter Block detected
%EFI-I-MOUNTED, FAT volume HELLO has been mounted
-EFI-I-NOPARTITION, the target volume is not partitioned
%EFI-I-MOUNTED, FAT volume HELLO has been mounted
EFI$CP> INITIALIZE DVA0: ""
EFI$CP> MOUNT DVA0:/OVERRIDE=ID
%EFI-I-SEEKMBR, searching for Master Boot Record
%EFI-I-ONEPART, single-partition volume; no Master Boot Record partitioning
%EFI-I-SEEKBPB, searching for BIOS Parameter Block
%EFI-I-SEEKBPBOK, valid BIOS Parameter Block detected
%EFI-I-MOUNTED, FAT volume NO NAME has been mounted
-EFI-I-NOPARTITION, the target volume is not partitioned