mkfs.netf refuses to create filesystem on file

**WitchCraft** · May 30th, 2010

Question: I can create a vfat filesystem as shown below.
I can exchange mkfs.vfat with mkfs.jfs or mkfs.ext3, but when I exchange it with mkfs.ntfs, then I get this error message:
virtual.dsk is not a block device.
Refusing to make a filesystem here!

Is there a way/cmd line option to create an nfts fs from a file ?

Code:

Create a virtual disk
dd if=/dev/zero of=virtual.dsk bs=1048576 count=150


Format it
mkfs.vfat virtual.dsk


Mount it
sudo mkdir -p /mnt/vfat
sudo mount virtual.dsk /mnt/vfat -t vfat -o loop

**Eisenwinter** · May 30th, 2010

Where is virtual.dsk located? You may need to specify the entire path, for example:

Code:

mkfs.ntfs /dev/virtual.dsk

**WitchCraft** · May 30th, 2010

Originally Posted by Eisenwinter

Where is virtual.dsk located? You may need to specify the entire path, for example:

Code:

mkfs.ntfs /dev/virtual.dsk

It's location: /tmp/virtual.dsk

Upon your question, I moved it to /dev and tried again, but no success. It's still disallowed to create a ntfs there because it is not a block device..

**WitchCraft** · May 30th, 2010

Uh, never mind, the magic option is:
http://ubuntu-rescue-remix.org/node/215

mkfs.ntfs -F filname.extension

Solved.

PS: Permanently mount:
/path/to/virtual.dsk /mnt/vfat vfat loop,owner,group,umask=000 0 0

use

Code:

mount -a

to 'reload' the /etc/fstab file.

**WitchCraft** · June 5th, 2010

But why is the NTFS filesystem case-sensitive, while VFAT is not ?

**WitchCraft** · November 16th, 2010

Bump.

**WitchCraft** · May 31st, 2012

As a secret tip if anybody needs a case-insenstive file system:

FAT is covered by patents.
Therefore, use JFS with the -O option.

Code:

apt-get install jfsutils
dd if=/dev/zero of=jfs.dsk bs=1048576 count=150
mkfs.jfs -O jfs.dsk
mkdir -p /mnt/jfs
mount /volumes/jfs.dsk /mnt/jfs -t jfs -o loop
umount /mnt/jfs/

**overdrank** · May 31st, 2012

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