Re: [aclug-L] Floppy

[Nate Bargmann <ka0rny@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Wayne White wrote:
> 
> I attempted to copy a file to a floppy this evening.
> The drive would not mount with a disk formatted in DOS.
> I could mount it with my start-up disk in it. I did
> not want to copy the file to my start-up disk. Is there
> a Linux equivelant to formatting a disk so that fd0
> will mount with it in it? I even attempted to mount
> it with a blank, unformatted, disk and was unable to
> do so. I realize this is totally newbie territory,
> but I just can't figure it out with the resources at
> my disposal.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Wayne

If you're needing to work with files on an MS-DOS floppy, there is a
program called mtools that allows you to work with MS-DOS files from
Linux.  e.g. "mdir" will give you a directory listing of an MS-DOS disk
in much the same format as "dir".  "mcopy" allows you to copy files. 
Other commands are similar.  A floppy doesn't need to be mounted to use
these programs and you may need to use them as root since they access
the floppy directly.

You can get more information and the latest release from here:

http://news.freshmeat.net/1998/05/15/#895235523

My guess an older version may be installed with your distribution so try
"man mtools" or fire up xman and look for mtools in section 1.  I've had
good luck copying DOS files out of Linux onto a floppy and then reading
the file(s) on a DOS machine.

- Nate >>

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