mkfs is used to build a Linux filesystem on a device, usually a hard disk partition. The device argument is either the device name (e.g., /dev/hda1, /dev/sdb2), or a regular file that shall contain the filesystem. The size argument is the number of blocks to be used for the filesystem.

What is the use of mkfs command in Linux?

The mkfs command stands for “make file system” is utilized to make a file system (which is, a system for organizing a hierarchy of directories, subdirectories, and files) on a formatted storage device usually, a partition on a hard disk drive (HDD) or it can also be a USB drive, etc.

How do you use mkfs command?

The modern way of using mkfs is to type “mkfs.” and then the name of the file system you wish to create. To see the file systems that mkfs can create, type “mkfs” and then hit the Tab key twice. There’s no space after “mkfs”, just hit Tab twice. The list of available file systems is displayed in the terminal window.