From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux


I built my Linux machine yesterday using the Asus Z170-P motherboard, all
went well, I even got the disk LED wired the right way round. One fan is sticking, I'll change that today.

I put Linux Mint xfce on it and updated it, runs fine.

I then added my 4 x 4 TB spinning drives and followed online instructions
to create a RAID 6 array:

sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=6 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sda /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd

Wait for it to build (it can take a while): You ain't kidding it ran overnight!

Next instruction:

Create a file system on the RAID device

Pick a file system. Common choice: ext4.

sudo mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/md0

Can I just double check that is correct and won't wipe out all the work
mdadm did please?
--
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
You can't tell which way the train went by looking at the tracks
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux

On Wed, 8/5/2026 4:13 AM, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I built my Linux machine yesterday using the Asus Z170-P motherboard,
all went well, I even got the disk LED wired the right way round.
One fan is sticking, I'll change that today.

I put Linux Mint xfce on it and updated it, runs fine.

I then added my 4 x 4 TB spinning drives and followed online instructions to create a RAID 6 array:

sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=6 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sda /dev/sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd

Wait for it to build (it can take a while): You ain't kidding it ran overnight!

Next instruction:

Create a file system on the RAID device

Pick a file system. Common choice: ext4.

sudo mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/md0

Can I just double check that is correct and won't wipe out all the work mdadm did please?

All you can do, as far as the filesystem is concerned, is an "fsck".

The array rebuild at the physical level, merely ensures that all
the XORs or whatever, are in a consistent state, so that the
redundancy in the array properly represents the blocks. What
you write into it after that, that's another layer in a sense.
The mdadm has prepared a reliable storage surface for the next
layer.

If you built this array for a practical reason, in some cases
filling the EXT4 filesystem with files, would "prove" the
storage works. But nobody ever does this :-)

Paul
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux

On 2026-08-05 10:13, Jeff Gaines wrote:

I built my Linux machine yesterday using the Asus Z170-P motherboard,
all went well, I even got the disk LED wired the right way round. One
fan is sticking, I'll change that today.

I put Linux Mint xfce on it and updated it, runs fine.

I then added my 4 x 4 TB spinning drives and followed online
instructions to create a RAID 6 array:

sudo mdadm --create /dev/md0 --level=6 --raid-devices=4 /dev/sda /dev/
sdb /dev/sdc /dev/sdd

Wait for it to build (it can take a while): You ain't kidding it ran overnight!

Next instruction:

Create a file system on the RAID device

I wonder why not create a partition table.

Pick a file system. Common choice: ext4.

sudo mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/md0

Can I just double check that is correct and won't wipe out all the work mdadm did please?

No, it wont, it is correct. I don't know why the -F, though. I would
also create a label in the same step.


--
Cheers,
Carlos E.R.
ESEfc-Efc+, EUEfc-Efc|;
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From Newsgroup: alt.os.linux

On 5 Aug 2026 08:13:01 GMT, Jeff Gaines wrote:

Pick a file system. Common choice: ext4.

sudo mkfs.ext4 -F /dev/md0

Can I just double check that is correct and won't wipe out all the
work mdadm did please?

You could make it safer by avoiding -F. Also normally just use the
generic rCLmkfsrCY command, and it will figure out which
filesystem-specific program to execute:

mkfs -t ext4 /dev/md0

ItrCOs been a while since I had to manage a software RAID array, but as
I recall you can check the status of your array(s) with
rCLmdadm --detailrCY.

<https://manpages.debian.org/mdadm(8)>
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