MKFS.BFS(8)

💅 MKFS.BFS(8) — the mkfs.bfs era 💅

okay bestie, welcome to the mkfs.bfs page, straight out of section 8 of the system administration manuals 🎀 she makes SCO bfs filesystems, and she's gonna walk you through it. no gatekeeping here. periodt. ✨

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✨ NAME ✨

mkfs.bfs — make an SCO bfs filesystem 💖

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

mkfs.bfs [options] device [block-count]

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

so mkfs.bfs creates an SCO bfs filesystem on a block device — and when we say block device we mean the usual suspects: a disk partition, or a file you're reaching through the loop device. no cap. 💫

the block-count parameter is literally the size you want your filesystem to be, measured in blocks. and if you don't say anything about it? she just takes the entire partition. all of it. main character energy, she's not sharing. 👑

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

• -N, --inodes number — pick exactly how many inodes you want (max is 512, okay? do not test her). if you say nothing, she picks some default number in the range 48-512 based on how big the partition is. so like, she's deciding for you, and honestly? she's right. 🙈
• -V, --vname label — set the volume label. and the manual literally says: "I have no idea if/where this is used." iconic honesty fr fr 😭
• -F, --fname name — set the filesystem name. and again, quote: "I have no idea if/where this is used." the authors really said we're being transparent 💀
• --lock[=mode] — grab an exclusive BSD lock on the device or file you're operating on. the optional mode argument can be yes (1), no (0), or nonblock. if you leave mode out, it defaults to yes. this option overrides the environment variable $LOCK_BLOCK_DEVICE. the default is to not use any lock at all — but using one is recommended so you don't collide with systemd-udevd(8) or other tools. protect your peace, bestie. 🫶
• -v, --verbose — she'll explain what she's doing the whole time. narrative queen. 🗣️
• -c — this option is silently ignored. not "does something subtle." just. ignored. 🫥
• -l — this option is silently ignored too. same vibe. 🙈
• -h, --help — shows you the help text and dips. ✌️
• -V, --version — shows the version and dips. careful though: -V only works as --version when it's the only option. otherwise that -V is doing volume-label duty. she contains multitudes, iykyk. ⭐

heads up, the double -V is not a typo, it's canon. -V is --vname and it's --version depending on the context. respect the duality. 🌈

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🔥 EXIT STATUS 🔥

mkfs.bfs returns 0 when everything went well, and 1 when something went wrong. that's the whole mood board. 🍓

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👑 SEE ALSO 👑

mkfs(8)

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🧚 REPORTING BUGS 🧚

found a bug? for bug reports, use the issue tracker: <https://github.com/util-linux/util-linux/issues>. she wants to hear from you, bestie. 💜

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💫 AVAILABILITY 💫

the mkfs.bfs command is part of the util-linux package, which can be downloaded from the Linux Kernel Archive: <https://www.kernel.org/pub/linux/utils/util-linux/>. go get her. 🎀

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and that's the whole page, bestie!! 🌸 this was util-linux version 2.42.4, dated 2026-09-21 — mwah, love that for us, slay, no cap, bye!! 💖✨