mkfs.ext4

creates an ext4 filesystem on a device

TLDR

Create ext4 filesystem

$ sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdXY

Create with volume label

$ sudo mkfs.ext4 -L [label] /dev/sdXY

Create with specific owner

$ sudo mkfs.ext4 -E root_owner=[uid]:[gid] /dev/sdXY

SYNOPSIS

mkfs.ext4 [options] device

DESCRIPTION

mkfs.ext4 creates an ext4 filesystem on a device. ext4 is the default Linux filesystem, offering journaling, large file support, and excellent performance.

PARAMETERS

-L LABEL

Set volume label (max 16 characters)

-E OPTIONS

Extended options (root_owner=uid:gid)

-b BLOCKSIZE

Set block size (1024, 2048, 4096)

-j

Create journal (default for ext4)

-i BYTES_PER_INODE

Set bytes per inode ratio

-N INODES

Set number of inodes

-m PERCENT

Reserved blocks percentage (default: 5)

-U UUID

Set filesystem UUID

CAVEATS

All data on device will be lost. Part of e2fsprogs package. Default reserved blocks (5%) can be reduced for non-root filesystems.