Formatting USB drive

**selinger** · 03-19-2010, 11:48 PM

I am trying to format a 16GB USB drive to decant .ts files from my Foxsat PVR which needs ext3 format to overcome 4GB file size limit.

Have managed to make Knoppix 6.2 run inside a Sun virtual box window on my Mac but I can't find the USB formatting app or indeed 'see' the USB drive.

All and any suggestions welcome.

Thank you

**Capricorny** · 03-19-2010, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by selinger

I am trying to format a 16GB USB drive to decant .ts files from my Foxsat PVR which needs ext3 format to overcome 4GB file size limit.

Have managed to make Knoppix 6.2 run inside a Sun virtual box window on my Mac but I can't find the USB formatting app or indeed 'see' the USB drive.

All and any suggestions welcome.

Thank you

You may possible run into problem with the virtualization. If you run Knoppix native, the commands would be

Code:

fdisk -l   # to see that the drive is recognised and get the device name for it
fdisk   /dev/sdb  # assume it is /dev/sdb,  to set up partitions on it. Check man for fdisk
mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1  # if you have set up an ext3 partition as the first on the stick

But I can't tell if they will work the right way for you on your Mac. Simplest solution, in case of problems, is probably to boot a PC with Knoppix and set up the stick there.

**klaus2008** · 03-20-2010, 06:54 AM

Originally Posted by selinger

Have managed to make Knoppix 6.2 run inside a Sun virtual box window on my Mac but I can't find the USB formatting app or indeed 'see' the USB drive.

If You want to use your USB device inside the virtual machine you have to create a "filter". http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html

Originally Posted by http://www.virtualbox.org/manual/ch03.html#id2520132

In the Settings dialog, you can first configure whether USB is available in the guest at all, and in addition also optionally enable the USB 2.0 (EHCI) controller for the guest. If so, you can determine in detail which devices are available. For this, you must create so-called "filters" by specifying certain properties of the USB device.

**selinger** · 03-20-2010, 09:08 AM

Thanks Capricorny. I have tried a direct installation in a PC but I 'lose' the mouse and keyboard. I agree this would be easiest but how do I recover them?

Thanks

**selinger** · 03-20-2010, 09:54 AM

Klaus thanks. I'm a Linux beginner (it took me a whole day to work out how to operate bittorrent and create a useable iso disk (anybody want wasted media?). Where do I configure the guest and where is the 'settings' dialog found?

Is there an idiots guide to Linux or are there too many versions for one to exist?

Surely there must be an easier way of creating an ext3 usb stick

Mark

**klaus2008** · 03-20-2010, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by selinger

Where do I configure the guest and where is the 'settings' dialog found?

On my Windows XP host there is a GUI for Sun VirtualBox. After the creation of a virtual machine one can select this virtual machine and use the menu: "Machine" -> "Settings". In addition to the menu in the GUI there should be an icon with a description "Settings". In every case you have to select the correct virtual machine before you can change its settings.
There is also a PDF-document (User Manual) on the downloadpage http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads with a chapter "First steps".

**selinger** · 03-21-2010, 12:52 PM

Klaus thanks for your advice, I an making (slow) progress. I can read the USB device now inside Knoppix. But how do I format it with ext3

Mark

**klaus2008** · 03-21-2010, 03:12 PM

The first thing to know is the device name of your USB stick. As Capricorny wrote you should open a terminal and enter

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

You will get a list about your disk devices.
In Knoppix drives are identified by devicenames. The first hdd is /dev/sda, the second one /dev/sdb etc. On a drive there are usually partitions. They are identified by numbers. The first partition on the second drive is /dev/sdb1.
When you know the devicename you should enter

Code:

sudo umount /dev/sdb1

to be sure that the device to be formatted is not mounted anymore. If your devicename is different from /dev/sdb1 you must use that instead. If the USB stick is not mounted, you will get an error message which does not bother you. A problem would be if you get an error message about a busy device. In that case you have to find out wether there is an open file which has to closed before you may unmount the device.
The next step will be to format the USB stick. This might be the point where you will get problems with the virtualization technology as Capricorny stated before. You must enter

Code:

sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1

Again, you have to use your devicename if it is different from /dev/sdb1.
Remember: If you format the device all data on it will be lost. Be careful to select the right device.
The last step, I think, would be to change the partition id in the partition table. If your USB stick is /dev/sdb and the partition is the first one then the command would be

Code:

sudo sfdisk --change-id /dev/sdb 1 83

In Knoppix 6.2 there is the possibility to use gparted instead of the command line tool mkfs.ext3. You can find it in the menu "Preferences" -> "GParted"