partclone.dd(8) — Arch manual pages

PARTCLONE.DD(8)

Partclone User Manual

PARTCLONE.DD(8)

.SH "NAME" partclone.dd - unsupported file system backup utility.(like `dd` )

.SH "SYNOPSIS"

.HP 312u

partclone.dd
{[-s | --source] source}
{[[-o | --output] [-O | --overwrite]] target}
[[-dX | --debug=X]]
[[--restore_raw_file]]
[[-z | --buffer_size]]
[[-N | --ncurses]]
[[-q | --quiet]]
[[-f | --UI-fresh]]
[[-F | --force]]
[[-I | --ignore_fschk]]
[[-i | --ignore_crc]]
[[-C | --nocheck]]
[[-R | --rescue]]
[[-L | --logfile] logfile]
[[-D | --domain]]
[[--offset_domain]]
[[-aX | --checksum-mode=X]]
[[-kX | --blocks-per-checksum=X]]
[[-K | --no-reseed]]
[[-w | --skip_write_error]]
[[-E | --offset=X]]
[[-T | --btfiles]]
[[-t | --btfiles_torrent]]
[[-B | --no_block_detail]]
[[--binary-prefix]]
[[--prog-second]]
[[--write-direct-io]]
[[--read-direct-io]]
[[-S | --device-size]]

.SH "DESCRIPTION"

.PP partclone.dd is a part of Partclone project to clone unsupported file system with dd method. It will backup all block from partition. Partclone provide utilities to backup used blocks and design for higher compatibility of the file system by using existing library, e.g. e2fslibs is used to read the used block of ext2 partition.

.PP Partclone supported file system include btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, reiser4, xfs and jfs for LINUX. Also support some non-linux operation system, ex: NTFS and FAT (for Windows), HFS plus(APPLE MAC OS), UFS2(FreeBSD), VMFS(VMWare Vsphere).

All partclone utils could be run like partclone.xxx is very similar fsck or mkfs. For example, for backup/restore hfsplus, just run partclone.hfsp.

.SH "OPTIONS"

.PP The program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (`-'). A summary of options is included below.

.PP -s FILE, --source FILE

Source FILE. The FILE could be a image file (made by partclone) or device depend on your action. Normally, backup source is device, restore source is image file.

Receving data from pipe line is supported ONLY for restoring, just ignore -s option or use '-' means receive data from stdin.

.RE
.PP -o FILE, --output FILE

Output FILE. The FILE could be a image file (partclone will generate) or device depend on your action. Normally, backup output to image file and restore output to device.

Sending data to pipe line is also supported ONLY for back-up, just ignore -o option or use '-' means send data to stdout.

.RE
.PP -O FILE, --overwrite FILE

Overwrite FILE, overwriting if exists.

.RE
.PP -W FILE, --restore_raw_file FILE

create special raw file for loop device.

.RE
.PP -D, --domain

Create GNU Ddrescue domain log file from source device. This is a human readable file in which + marks used block areas and ? marks free areas.

.RE
.PP --offset_domain=X

Add X (in bytes) to all positions reported in the domain log file

.RE
.PP --restore_raw_file

Creating special raw file for loop device.

.RE
.PP -L FILE, --logfile FILE

put special path to record partclone log information. (default /var/log/partclone.log)

.RE
.PP -R, --rescue

Continue after disk read errors.

.RE
.PP -C, --no_check

Don't check device size and free space.

.RE
.PP -N, --ncurses

Using Ncurses Text User Interface.

.RE
.PP -I, --ignore_fschk

Ignore filesystem check.

.RE
.PP -i, --ignore_crc

Ignore crc check error.

.RE
.PP -F, --force

Force progress.

.RE
.PP -f sec, --UI-fresh sec

put special second to different interval.

.RE
.PP -z size, --buffer_size size

Read/write buffer size (default: 1048576)

.RE
.PP -q, --quiet

Disable progress message.

.RE
.PP -dlevel, --debug level

Set the debug level [1|2|3]

.RE
.PP -aX, --checksum-mode=X

Checksum formula to use to add error detection

where X:

0: No checksum (no slowdown, smallest image)

1: CRC32 (Fast to compute, basic detection)

.RE
.PP -kX, --blocks-per-checksum=X

Write one checksum for every X blocks

.RE
.PP -w, --skip_write_error

Continue restore while write errors

.RE
.PP --write-direct-io

Writing data to TARGET partition without cache

.RE
.PP --read-direct-io

Reading data from SOURCE partition without cache

.RE
.PP -S, --device-size

Define device size

.RE
.PP -B, --no_block_detail

Show progress message without block detail

.RE
.PP --binary-prefix

Show progress with bit size (default is MB, GB...)

.RE
.PP --prog-second

Show progress in seconds (default is minute)

.RE
.PP -E, --offset=X

Add offset X (bytes) to OUTPUT

.RE
.PP -T, --btfiles

Restore block as file for ClonezillaBT.

.RE
.PP -t, --btfiles_torrent

Restore block as file for ClonezillaBT but only generate torrent.

.RE
.PP -h, --help

Show summary of options.

.RE
.PP -v, --version

Show version of program.

.RE

.SH "FILES"

.PP /var/log/partclone.log

The log file of partclone.dd

.RE

.SH "EXAMPLES"

 clone /dev/hda1 to hda1.dd.img and display debug information.
   partclone.dd -d -s /dev/hda1 -o hda1.dd.img
 restore /dev/hda1 from hda1.dd.img and display debug information.
   partclone.dd -d -s hda1.dd.img -o /dev/hda1

.SH "DIAGNOSTICS"

.PP The following diagnostics may be issued on stderr:

.PP partclone.dd provides some return codes, that can be used in scripts:

Code	Diagnostic



T{
0
T}
T{
Program exited successfully.
T}


T{
1
T}
T{
Clone or Restore seem failed.
T}

.TE

.SH "BUGS"

.PP

Report bugs to thomas@clonezilla.org or

http://partclone.org.

.PP

You can get support at http://partclone.org

.SH "SEE ALSO"

.PP

partclone(8),

partclone.chkimg(8),

partclone.restore(8),

partclone.dd(8),

partclone.info(8)

"AUTHOR"

Yu-Chin Tsai <thomas@clonezilla.org>

"COPYRIGHT"

.PP

This manual page was written for the Debian system (and may be used by others).

.PP

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU General Public License, Version 2 or (at your option) any later version published by the Free Software Foundation.

.PP

On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General Public License can be found in

/usr/share/common-licenses/GPL.

03/04/2026

partclone.dd