mkfs.f2fs

creates a Flash-Friendly File System on block devices

TLDR

Create an F2FS filesystem inside partition Y on device X

$ sudo mkfs.f2fs [/dev/sdXY]

Create an F2FS filesystem with a volume label

$ sudo mkfs.f2fs -l [volume_label] [/dev/sdXY]

Create an F2FS filesystem with encryption support enabled

$ sudo mkfs.f2fs -O encrypt [/dev/sdXY]

Create an F2FS filesystem with compression enabled

$ sudo mkfs.f2fs -O compress [/dev/sdXY]

Force creation by overwriting an existing filesystem

$ sudo mkfs.f2fs -f [/dev/sdXY]

mkfs.f2fs [-l label] [-a 0|1] [-o overprovision-ratio] [-s #-of-segments-per-section] [-z #-of-sections-per-zone] [-e cold-file-extensions] [-E hot-file-extensions] [-w sector-size] [-R root-uid:root-gid] [-f] [-q] [-O feature] [-c device] device [size]

DESCRIPTION

mkfs.f2fs creates a Flash-Friendly File System (F2FS) on block devices. F2FS is a modern filesystem designed specifically for flash-based storage like SSDs, eMMC, and SD cards.The filesystem employs log-structured design principles optimized for NAND flash characteristics, providing better performance and extended device lifespan compared to traditional filesystems on flash media. It supports features like inline data, inline directories, extent-based mapping, and atomic writes.When creating a filesystem, the tool partitions the device into segments, sections, and zones for efficient garbage collection and wear leveling. The overprovision ratio reserves space for this purpose. Exit status is 0 on success, 1 on failure.

PARAMETERS

-l _label_

Set the volume label for the filesystem

-a _0|1_

Use heap-based block allocation (1) or not (0); default is 1

-o _ratio_

Set overprovision ratio as a percentage; default is 5%

-s _segments_

Number of segments per section; default is 1

-z _sections_

Number of sections per zone; default is 1

-e _extensions_

Extensions for cold files (e.g., multimedia files)

-E _extensions_

Extensions for hot files (e.g., database files)

-w _size_

Sector size in bytes

-R _uid:gid_

Set root directory owner UID and GID

-f

Force overwrite if filesystem already exists on device

-q

Quiet mode; suppress output messages

-O _feature_

Enable filesystem features: encrypt, compress, quota, verity, casefold

-c _device_

Add additional device for multi-device volume (up to 7 devices)

-t _0|1_

Set discard policy; 1 enables discard support

-d _level_

Set debug level for verbose output

-T _timestamp_

Set inode timestamps to specified value

-S

Enable sparse mode for creating image files

INSTALL

sudo apt install f2fs-tools

sudo dnf install f2fs-tools

sudo pacman -S f2fs-tools

sudo apk add f2fs-tools

sudo zypper install f2fs-tools

nix profile install nixpkgs#f2fs-tools

CAVEATS

F2FS requires a minimum device size and may not work on very small partitions. The overprovision ratio directly impacts available space versus performance and device longevity. Enabling multiple features simultaneously increases metadata overhead. Multi-device volumes require all devices to be available for mounting.

HISTORY

F2FS was developed by Samsung Electronics and introduced in the Linux kernel 3.8 in 2012. It was designed from scratch to address the unique characteristics of flash-based storage devices, focusing on performance optimization and wear leveling to extend device lifespan.