What Is Ubuntu Format Disk Command Line? How to Use It [Your 2024 Fresh Guide]

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution based on Debian, designed for use on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, servers, workstations, and cloud computing. The primary difference between Ubuntu and Linux is that Ubuntu is a Linux distribution, while Linux refers to a family of Unix-like operating systems.

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Ubuntu's command-line tools can read and write files on partitions formatted for Windows. These are usually formatted as NTFS, but sometimes as FAT32. On older devices, you may still see FAT16.

While you can use the “Disks” utility that comes with Ubuntu to format your drive, if you have problems with the Disk Utility or your partition is corrupted, you can use GParted for formatting. Additionally, GParted lets you resize existing partitions so you can take advantage of free space on the drive to create a second partition. Let's look at why you might need the Ubuntu command line format disk command.

Why Do You Need Ubuntu Disk Formatting Command Line Tools?

The Ubuntu operating system provides both a command-line interface (CLI) and a graphical user interface (GUI) to carry out various activities. The CLI is the fundamental way to interact with a system's processor and memory, allowing you to perform all the tasks that can be done with a GUI.

One of the most common hardware tasks is to format a hard drive. If you've added a new drive or partition to your Linux system, it will need to be formatted before you can use it. Ubuntu Linux provides a graphical partitioning and formatting tool called GParted that makes this process very simple. Anyone can use GParted's user-friendly interface to format disks for Linux, Windows, or both.

Most of the time, Ubuntu will correctly identify your hard drives and “mount” them so that you can access them through the file manager. It should also recognize and mount any other USB devices you might plug in, such as USB keys, digital cameras, music players, or external hard drives.

Every so often, you'll run into a small problem that needs fixing, requiring you to open a command-line terminal and enter some commands, or seek help from knowledgeable people on the Ubuntu forums.

Ubuntu can read and write to partitions formatted in Windows, which are usually formatted in NTFS but occasionally in FAT32. You can format your USB drive using any of several programs that come with Ubuntu Linux, or use the Disk Utility that comes with Ubuntu. In either case, formatting your USB device will take only a few minutes.

Ubuntu uses ZFS as the default filesystem for handling containers. Additionally, it includes advanced Raid-Z functionality, which makes recovery from disk failures more efficient and data distribution more reliable. This is not available on ZFS, Ext4, Btrfs, or Reiser filesystems.

How to format a disk using the command line in Ubuntu?

Installing USB devices through the command line is relatively straightforward. With the commands here, anyone can format a USB drive.

1. To avoid accidentally formatting the wrong device, make sure to identify your USB drive correctly. Open a terminal by using the Dash (or pressing Ctrl+Alt+T), and type:

`df -h` is a Linux/Unix command used to display the disk space usage of file systems. The `-h` option stands for "human-readable," meaning it will present the results in a format that is easy for humans to understand, such as KB, MB, and GB.

Our USB drive is identified as /dev/sdb1 at the end of the output.

2. Format the USB device with the VFAT file system using the following command:

**Create a vfat file system with root privileges:** ```shell sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1 ``` This command formats the device partition `/dev/sdb1` as a vfat (also known as FAT32) file system. The `sudo` is used to run the command with superuser permissions, as formatting devices typically requires administrative access.

You will use the locations indicated by the `df -h` command output.

Only unmounted USB drives can be formatted; otherwise, you'll see this message:

Therefore, use the following command to uninstall the drive:

**Run with administrator privileges:** ```shell sudo umount /dev/sdb1 ``` This command is used to safely unmount the file system on the /dev/sdb1 device. Make sure no programs are using the mount point before executing this, as it may result in data loss or errors otherwise.

When you run the formatting command as the root user, your USB device will be formatted correctly.

Conclusions

In this article, we have explained the command-line methods to format a disk in Ubuntu. You can use the Disks application that comes pre-installed with Ubuntu to format your drives. If you face any difficulty using the Disks utility or if your partition is corrupted, you can use GParted for formatting. If you liked this article, do share it. In case of any queries, please drop a comment below.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions, read the following FAQ.

1. How to format a disk in Ubuntu? Follow these steps to format a disk in Ubuntu: 1. Open the "File Manager": You can typically do this by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar or by opening a terminal with `Ctrl+Alt+T` and typing the `nautilus` command. 2. Navigate to the device section where the disk you want to format is located. Unmounted external drives usually appear on the left side of the screen. 3. Right-click on the disk you wish to format, and from the context menu, select "Format." 4. A dialog box will appear, asking you to choose a file system type. Select an appropriate file system based on your needs, such as FAT32 (for cross-platform use), NTFS (for compatibility with Windows), or ext4 (Ubuntu's default file system). 5. Optionally, set a label for the volume; this will be the name of the disk displayed in the file manager. 6. Confirm whether "Safe Erase" or "Quick Format" suits your requirements. Safe erase may take longer but ensures all data is removed, while a quick format only overwrites the file system structure without deleting data. 7. Finally, click the "Format" button to begin the formatting process. Acknowledge any warning prompts, as this will permanently delete all data on the disk. 8. Once the formatting is complete, the disk will be available for reading and writing operations. Please note that formatting will permanently erase all data on the disk, so make sure to back up important files before starting.

- Gather detailed information about your new hard drive. - Find the partition editor tool, usually called "GParted," by clicking "System" and selecting " Administration." - Check the settings for your hard drive. - Choose a drive format according to how you expect to use it. - Click "Apply."

<b>2. Can you format a disk in Ubuntu's CMD? In Ubuntu, the command-line interface is called a "Terminal" (CLI), not CMD, which refers to the Command Prompt in Windows. To format a disk in the Ubuntu Terminal, you can use the `fdisk` or `mkfs` commands. Here are the basic steps: 1. Open the Terminal: Press `Ctrl` + `Alt` + `T`. 2. Use the `lsblk` command to list all available disks. 3. Identify the disk you want to format, e.g., `/dev/sda1` or `/dev/nvme0n1p1`. 4. Run `sudo fdisk /dev/your_disk` to enter the disk partition editor (replace `your_disk` with your disk's name). 5. In the fdisk command-line mode, type `n` to create a new partition and follow the prompts. 6. After creating the partition, type `w` to save the changes and exit. 7. Format the new partition with the `mkfs` command, e.g., `sudo mkfs -t ext4 /dev/your_disk` (replace `ext4` with the file system type you desire). Please note that these actions will permanently delete all data on the disk, so make sure to back up important information beforehand.

Windows has a tool called Diskpart that can be used to format disks from the command line. Windows includes a tool called Diskpart for this purpose.

3. What is the best file system for Ubuntu?

FAT32 is often recommended for sharing between Ubuntu and Windows. However, NTFS works just as well.