MKFS.SSDFS(8)

📦 version 4.68, in nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable

💅 MKFS.SSDFS(8) — the mkfs one, section 8 of the system admin commands, bestie

okay so real talk, this is mkfs.ssdfs from ssdfs-utils, and it is literally the "make me a filesystem" girlie of the SSDFS world. section 8, system administration commands, you know the vibe. let's go 🎀

✨ NAME ✨

mkfs.ssdfs — create volume of SSDFS file system 🦋

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

mkfs.ssdfs [options] device

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

mkfs.ssdfs creates an SSDFS file system on a given device or image file. that's the whole job and she does it flawlessly, no cap.

SSDFS is a flash-friendly file system designed with goals to:

  1. take into account the open-channel SSD model 🔥
  2. decrease as much as possible the write amplification issue
  3. decrease as much as possible the GC activity
  4. widely use the compression, delta-encoding, and deduplication
  5. prolong SSD lifetime 👑
  6. decrease TCO cost of data infrastructure

like… she's not just a filesystem, she's a lifestyle. periodt.

✨ OPTIONS ✨

  • -B, --blkbmap has_copy,compression=(none|zlib|lzo) — block bitmap options, bestie. the has_copy option enables backup copy, and compression sets the compression type. 💅
  • -C, --compression (none|zlib|lzo) — global compression type support. your options are literally: none, zlib, lzo.
  • -D, --nand-dies count — NAND dies count. must be an even number, no exceptions, she said what she said 🫶
  • -d, --debug — show debug output. for when you need to know everything.
  • -e, --erasesize size — erase size of target device. supported sizes: 128KB, 256KB, 512KB, 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, and larger powers of 2.
  • -f, --force — force overwrite of existing filesystem 😭 careful, she will not ask twice.
  • -h, --help — display help message and exit. our little escape hatch ✨
  • -i, --inode_size size — inode size in bytes. supported sizes: 256B, 512B, 1KB, 2KB, 4KB.
  • -j, --threads number — define erase threads number. more threads, more main character energy.
  • -L, --label label — set a volume label 🎀 name her something cute.
  • -M, --maptbl has_copy,stripes_per_fragment=value,... — PEB mapping table options. full syntax, verbatim:
has_copy,stripes_per_fragment=value,fragments_per_peb=value,log_pages=value,migration_threshold=value,reserved_pebs_per_fragment=percentage,compression=(none|zlib|lzo)
  • -m, --migration-threshold value — max amount of migration PEBs for segment.
  • -O, --offsets_table has_copy,compression=(none|zlib|lzo) — offsets table options.
  • -p, --pagesize size — page size of target device. supported sizes: 4KB, 8KB, 16KB, 32KB.
  • -q, --quiet — quiet execution (useful for scripts). shhh 🤫
  • -R, --erase-device — erase whole device or partition by mkfs. whole thing. all of it. 💀
  • -S, --segbmap has_copy,segs_per_chain=value,... — segment bitmap options. full syntax, again verbatim:
has_copy,segs_per_chain=value,fragments_per_peb=value,log_pages=value,migration_threshold=value,compression=(none|zlib|lzo)
  • -s, --segsize size — segment size of target device. supported sizes: 128KB, 256KB, 512KB, 1MB, 2MB, 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB, 64MB, and larger powers of 2.
  • -T, --btree node_size=value,min_index_area_size=value,... — btrees' options. full syntax:
node_size=value,min_index_area_size=value,leaf_node_log_pages=value,hybrid_node_log_pages=value,index_node_log_pages=value
  • -U, --user_data_segment log_pages=value,... — user data segment options. full syntax:
log_pages=value,migration_threshold=value,compression=(none|zlib|lzo)
  • -V, --version — print version and exit.
⚠️ heads up: -f / --force overwrites an existing filesystem, and -R / --erase-device erases the whole device or partition. that's destructive. double-check your device argument before you hit enter, i'm begging 🙈

✨ EXIT STATUS ✨

mkfs.ssdfs exits with status 0 on success, or with non-zero status on error. slay when it's zero, crying when it's not 😭

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

create SSDFS filesystem on /dev/sdb1:

# mkfs.ssdfs /dev/sdb1

create SSDFS filesystem with 8KB page size and ZLIB compression:

# mkfs.ssdfs -p 8KB -C zlib /dev/sdb1

create SSDFS filesystem with custom label:

# mkfs.ssdfs -L MyStorage /dev/sdb1

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

fsck.ssdfs(8), tune.ssdfs(8), dump.ssdfs(8) — the rest of the friend group 🫶 iykyk.

✨ AUTHORS ✨

Viacheslav Dubeyko <slava@dubeyko.com> — the icon, the legend 👑

Copyright (c) 2014-2026 Viacheslav Dubeyko

SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause-Clear

and that's the whole page, bestie 🌈 — brought to you by ssdfs-utils, dated 2025-08-30, signed off with a kiss and a mkfs.ssdfs(8) 💖✨

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