Formatting a Hard Drive for Mac on Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

When you need to format a hard drive on a Linux system but it was previously used by a Mac, you'll encounter some unique challenges. In this article, we will walk you through the process of formatting a hard drive for use with macOS on a Linux machine.

The first step is to identify the disk device name. You can do this using the `lsblk` command in your terminal. Look for the disk that corresponds to the one you want to format. In our example, we'll use `/dev/sdb1`.

Step#1: Format the new disk

To format the hard drive with a specific file system, use the `mkfs` command followed by the desired file system type and the disk device name. For instance, if you want to format it as ext4 (which is now recommended), run:

```

mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1

```

Alternatively, you can choose other file systems such as ext3 or fat32.

Step#2: Format the new disk using mkfs command

To change a partition type (for example, choose RAID or ext3 or ext4 or fat32), use the following command:

```

mkfs.'file_system' /dev/sdb1

```

Replace `'file_system'` with the file system you want to use.

Step#3: Mount the new disk

First, create a mount point `/disk1` using the `mkdir` command. Then, use the `mount` command to mount `/dev/sdb1`:

```

mkdir /disk1

mount /dev/sdb1 /disk1

```

Step#4: Update /etc/fstab file

To ensure that your partition is automatically mounted at boot time, you'll need to add an entry to the `/etc/fstab` file. You can use the `grep` command or `egrep` command to verify mounted partitions on Linux.

Verify using the `df` command or `mount` command:

```

# grep -w '^/dev/sdb1' /proc/mounts

```

Finally, update the `/etc/fstab` file by adding a new line that includes the partition device name, mount point, and file system type. The format is as follows:

```

UUID='partition_uuid' /disk1 'file_system' defaults 0 0

```

Replace `'partition_uuid'` with the actual UUID of your partition.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully format a hard drive for use with macOS on a Linux machine. However, please note that these examples may crash your computer if executed when the wrong disk name is used. The author and nixCraft are not responsible for any data loss or damage caused by incorrect usage of these commands.

Formatting a hard drive for mac on linux