fstobdf

fstobdf [-v] [-l label] [-p platform] [-o os] [-r release] [-m machine] xfs-device bdf-file

-v
    Enable verbose output during conversion

-l label
    Specify the volume name or label for the BDF image

-p platform
    Set the boot platform name (e.g., IP22)

-o os
    Specify the operating system name (e.g., IRIX)

-r release
    Set the OS release version (e.g., 6.5)

-m machine
    Specify the target machine type

xfs-device
    Path to the source XFS block device or file

bdf-file
    Output path for the generated BDF disk image

The fstobdf command is a specialized utility from the xfsprogs package designed to convert an XFS filesystem on a block device into a bootable diskette format (BDF) image file. This format was primarily used on older SGI systems running IRIX to create boot floppies for XFS filesystems, enabling installation or recovery from floppy media.

It reads the superblock and metadata from the specified XFS device and generates a raw disk image suitable for writing to a floppy diskette. The resulting BDF image includes boot blocks, filesystem structures, and optional labels tailored for specific hardware platforms, operating systems, and releases.

Usage is straightforward for supported environments: specify the source XFS device (e.g., /dev/fd0 or a file image) and output BDF file. Options allow customization of labels, platform identifiers, and verbosity. This tool is particularly useful in legacy SGI/IRIX contexts or for archival purposes, though modern systems rarely use floppies.

Note that fstobdf requires the source to be a valid XFS filesystem and produces fixed-size images (typically 1.44MB for 3.5" HD floppies). It performs no data validation beyond basic superblock checks, so ensure the device is clean and mounted read-only if possible.

Limited to legacy floppy sizes (e.g., 1.44MB); requires kernel XFS support; no data integrity checks beyond superblock; obsolete on modern hardware without floppy drives; source device must be unmounted.

Produces a raw 1440KB image mimicking 3.5" HD floppy with XFS boot blocks; writable via dd to physical media.

XFS filesystem v0-v5; xfsprogs package; root privileges recommended for device access.

Developed by Silicon Graphics (SGI) for IRIX XFS support in the 1990s; ported to Linux xfsprogs around 2001; maintained for legacy compatibility but rarely used post-2010 due to floppy obsolescence.

mkfs.xfs(8), xfs_io(8), xfs_repair(8), xfsprogs(7)