DDRESCUE(1)

NAME
ddrescue - data recovery tool

SYNOPSIS
ddrescue [options] infile outfile [mapfile]

DESCRIPTION
GNU ddrescue - Data recovery tool. Copies data from one file or block device to another, trying to rescue the good parts first in case of read errors.

Always use a mapfile unless you know you won't need it. Without a mapfile, ddrescue can't resume a rescue, only reinitiate it. NOTE: In versions of ddrescue prior to 1.20 the mapfile was called 'logfile'. The format is the same; only the name has changed.

If you reboot, check the device names before restarting ddrescue. Don't use options '-F' or '-G' without reading the manual first.

OPTIONS

-h, --help
    display this help and exit

-V, --version
    output version information and exit

-a, --min-read-rate=<bytes>
    minimum read rate of good areas in bytes/s

-A, --try-again
    mark non-trimmed, non-scraped as non-tried

-b, --sector-size=<bytes>
    sector size of input device [default 512]

-B, --binary-prefixes
    show binary multipliers in numbers [SI]

-c, --cluster-size=<sectors>
    sectors to copy at a time [128]

-C, --complete-only
    don't read new data beyond mapfile limits

-d, --idirect
    use direct disc access for input file

-D, --odirect
    use direct disc access for output file

-e, --max-errors=[+]<n>
    maximum number of [new] error areas allowed

-E, --max-error-rate=<bytes>
    maximum allowed rate of read errors per second

-f, --force
    overwrite output device or partition

-F, --fill-mode=<types>
    fill blocks of given types with data (?*/-+l)

-G, --generate-mode
    generate approximate mapfile from partial copy

-H, --test-mode=<file>
    set map of good/bad blocks from given mapfile

-i, --input-position=<bytes>
    starting position of domain in input file [0]

-I, --verify-input-size
    verify input file size with size in mapfile

-J, --verify-on-error
    reread latest good sector after every error

-K, --skip-size=[<i>][,<max>]
    initial size to skip on read error [64 KiB]

-L, --loose-domain
    accept an incomplete domain mapfile

-m, --domain-mapfile=<file>
    restrict domain to finished blocks in file

-M, --retrim
    mark all failed blocks as non-trimmed

-n, --no-scrape
    skip the scraping phase

-N, --no-trim
    skip the trimming phase

-o, --output-position=<bytes>
    starting position in output file [ipos]

-O, --reopen-on-error
    reopen input file after every read error

-p, --preallocate
    preallocate space on disc for output file

-P, --data-preview[=<lines>]
    show some lines of the latest data read [3]

-q, --quiet
    suppress all messages

-r, --retry-passes=<n>
    exit after <n> retry passes (-1=infinity) [0]

-R, --reverse
    reverse the direction of all passes

-s, --size=<bytes>
    maximum size of input data to be copied

-S, --sparse
    use sparse writes for output file

-t, --truncate
    truncate output file to zero size

-T, --timeout=<interval>
    maximum time since last successful read

-u, --unidirectional
    run all passes in the same direction

-v, --verbose
    be verbose (a 2nd -v gives more)

-w, --ignore-write-errors
    make fill mode ignore write errors

-x, --extend-outfile=<bytes>
    extend outfile size to be at least this long

-X, --exit-on-error
    exit after the first read error

-y, --synchronous
    use synchronous writes for output file

-Z, --max-read-rate=<bytes>
    maximum read rate in bytes/s

--ask
    ask for confirmation before starting the copy

--cpass=<n>[,<n>]
    select what copying pass(es) to run

--log-rates=<file>
    log rates and error sizes in file

--log-reads=<file>
    log all read operations in file

--pause=<interval>
    time to wait between passes [0]

Numbers may be in decimal, hexadecimal or octal, and may be followed by a multiplier: s = sectors, k = 1000, Ki = 1024, M = 10^6, Mi = 2^20, etc... Time intervals have the format 1[.5][smhd] or 1/2[smhd].

Exit status: 0 for a normal exit, 1 for environmental problems (file not found, invalid flags, I/O errors, etc), 2 to indicate a corrupt or invalid input file, 3 for an internal consistency error (eg, bug) which caused ddrescue to panic.

REPORTING BUGS
Report bugs to bug-ddrescue@gnu.org
Ddrescue home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html
General help using GNU software: http://www.gnu.org/gethelp

COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2016 Antonio Diaz Diaz. License GPLv2+: GNU GPL version 2 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it. There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

SEE ALSO
The full documentation for ddrescue is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and ddrescue programs are properly installed at your site, the command

    info ddrescue

should give you access to the complete manual.