mke2fs

Create an ext2 filesystem on a partition

$ sudo mke2fs -t ext2 [/dev/sdXY]

$ sudo mke2fs -t ext3 [/dev/sdXY]

$ sudo mke2fs -t ext4 [/dev/sdXY]

mke2fs [options] device

mke2fs creates ext2, ext3, or ext4 filesystems on a device or partition. It initializes the superblock, block groups, inode tables, and other filesystem structures.
The ext4 filesystem is the current standard for Linux, offering journaling, extents, and improved performance over ext2/ext3. The -t option selects the filesystem type and automatically enables appropriate features.
Commonly invoked as mkfs.ext2, mkfs.ext3, or mkfs.ext4, which are symlinks to mke2fs with preset filesystem types.

-t _type_

Filesystem type: ext2, ext3, or ext4

Set the volume label

Set the filesystem UUID

Block size in bytes (1024, 2048, or 4096)

Bytes per inode ratio (affects number of inodes created)

Create exactly this many inodes

Reserved blocks percentage for root (default 5%)

Enable/disable filesystem features

Check device for bad blocks before creating filesystem

Destroys all data on the target device. Always verify the correct device path before running. The reserved block percentage (default 5%) can be reduced for non-root partitions using -m 0 or later with tune2fs. Creating a filesystem on a mounted partition will corrupt it.

mkfs(8), mkfs.ext4(8), tune2fs(8), e2fsck(8), dumpe2fs(8)