I tried formatting a 120GB FAT32 partition with Knoppix3.3's mkfs.vfat (which then calls mkdosfs, I think) and later with mkdosfs too, for a dual-boot machine. However, both of these returned within about ten seconds, clearly without having formatted the partition.

Do these tools not work under Knoppix? Or are they limited like Microsoft's tools are?? (FAT32 can theoretically handle up to a few terabytes, but Microsloth's versions under Win2K and WinXP are deliberately limited to 32GB. Under Win95/98, the FDISK program has a rollover problem with drives over 70GB -- they think an 80GB drive only has about 11GB, and a 120GB drive has just 51GB.)

BTW, I also tried PartitionMagic, which was royally screwed up. Yes, I used it "correctly"; no, it doesn't work.

Can anyone recommend a set of (free) tools that will let me format the whole drive as one giant partition?

Thanks, LGL