Linux Command: dd

What is dd?

• dd is a command-line utility in Linux and Unix-like operating systems.
• It stands for "data duplication" or "disk dump".

Purpose of dd

• dd is used to copy and convert data between files, devices, or standard input/output.
• It can be used to create bootable disks, backup data, and perform low-level data manipulation.

Basic Syntax

• dd if= of= [options]
• if stands for "input file" and specifies the source of the data.
• of stands for "output file" and specifies the destination of the data.

Common Options

• bs=: specifies the block size of the data transfer.
• count=: specifies the number of blocks to copy.
• skip=: skips a specified number of blocks at the beginning of the input file.
• status=: specifies the level of verbosity for the command's output.

Examples

• dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=1M: copies the contents of the /dev/sda device to the /dev/sdb device in 1MB blocks.
• dd if=file.txt of=file2.txt: copies the contents of the file.txt file to the file2.txt file.

Precautions

• dd can be destructive if used incorrectly, as it can overwrite data without warning.
• Be careful when using dd to avoid data loss or corruption.

What is dd?

• dd is a command-line utility in Linux and Unix-like operating systems, standing for "data duplication" or "disk dump".

Purpose of dd

• Used to copy and convert data between files, devices, or standard input/output.
• Can be used to create bootable disks, backup data, and perform low-level data manipulation.

Basic Syntax

• Basic syntax: dd if= of= [options].
• if stands for "input file" and specifies the source of the data.
• of stands for "output file" and specifies the destination of the data.

Common Options

• bs=: specifies the block size of the data transfer.
• count=: specifies the number of blocks to copy.
• skip=: skips a specified number of blocks at the beginning of the input file.
• status=: specifies the level of verbosity for the command's output.

Examples

• dd if=/dev/sda of=/dev/sdb bs=1M: copies the contents of the /dev/sda device to the /dev/sdb device in 1MB blocks.
• dd if=file.txt of=file2.txt: copies the contents of the file.txt file to the file2.txt file.

Precautions

• dd can be destructive if used incorrectly, potentially causing data loss or corruption.
• Be careful when using dd to avoid unintended consequences.