Makes a file system. The mkfs command makes a new file system on a specified device. The mkfs command initializes the volume label, file system label, and startup block. The Device parameter specifies a block device name, raw device name, or file system name. The setgid bit determines the default group permissions.
All directories created under the new file system have the same default group permissions.
The mkfs command does not alter anything in a mounted file system, including the file system label. The file system label changes when you change the mount point, unless the file system is mounted. A prototype file is a formatted listing of the contents and structure of a file system. A prototype file describes the file system by a series of tokens separated by spaces and new lines. The main body of a prototype file defines the objects of the file system.