partclone - Man Page

• Copy a partition into an image: sudo partclone.ext4|btrfs|fat32|xfs|... [-c|--clone] [-s|--source] /dev/sdXY [-o|--output] path/to/backup.img
• Restore a partition from an image: sudo partclone.ext4|btrfs|fat32|xfs|... [-c|--clone] [-s|--source] path/to/backup.img [-o|--output] /dev/sdXY
• Display help: partclone.ext4|btrfs|fat32|xfs|... [-h|--help]

tldr.sh

partclone​.[fstype] {[-c | --clone]} {[-r | --restore]} {[-b | --dev-to-dev]} {[-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] [[-X | --compresscmd]] [[-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]] [[-n | --note]] [[-B | --no_block_detail]] [[--binary-prefix]] [[--prog-second]] [[--write-direct-io]] [[--read-direct-io]]

partclone​.[fstype] is a part of Partclone project​. 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​.

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, FAT and EXFAT (for Windows), HFS plus (APPLE MAC OS), UFS2 (FreeBSD), VMFS (VMWare Vsphere) and MINIX (MINIX3)​.

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

       File System                 partclone​.[fstype]

       btrfs                       partclone​.btrfs
       ext2, ext3, ext4            partclone​.[ext2 | ext3 | ext4]
       reiserfs 3​.5                partclone​.reiserfs
       reiser 4                    partclone​.reiser4
       xfs                         partclone​.xfs
       ufs | ufs2                  partclone​.ufs
       jfs                         partclone​.jfs
       hfs plusfs                  partclone​.[hfs+ | hfsplus]
       vmfs                        partclone​.[vmfs | vmfs5]
       ntfs                        partclone​.ntfs
       fat12, fat16, fat32         partclone​.[fat12 | fat16 | fat32]
       exfat                       partclone​.exfat
       minix                       partclone​.minix
       f2fs                        partclone​.f2fs
       nilfs2                      partclone​.nilfs2
       apfs                        partclone​.apfs
       others (Not Supported FS)   partclone​.imager

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

-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​.

-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​.

-O FILE, --overwrite FILE

Overwrite FILE, overwriting if exists​.

-W FILE, --restore_raw_file FILE

create special raw file for loop device​.

-c,  --clone

Save partition to the special image format​.

-r,  --restore

Restore partition from the special image format​.

-b,  --dev-to-dev

Local device to device copy on-the-fly, source and output both are device​.

-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​.

--offset_domain=X

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

--restore_raw_file

Creating special raw file for loop device​.

-L FILE, --logfile FILE

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

-R,  --rescue

Continue after disk read errors​.

-C,  --no_check

Don't check device size and free space​.

-N,  --ncurses

Using Ncurses Text User Interface​.

-I,  --ignore_fschk

Ignore filesystem check​.

-i,  --ignore_crc

Ignore crc check error​.

-F,  --force

Force progress​.

-f sec, --UI-fresh sec

put special second to different interval​.

-z size, --buffer_size size

Read/write buffer size (default: 1048576)

-q,  --quiet

Disable progress message​.

-dlevel, --debug level

Set the debug level [1|2|3]

-x, --compresscmd CMD

Start CMD as an output pipe to compress the cloned image

-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)

2: xxHash64 extremely fast non-cryptographic hash algorithm

3: xxHash128 Strong and extremely fast, best detection

-kX, --blocks-per-checksum=X

Write one checksum for every X blocks

-w,  --skip_write_error

Continue restore while write errors

--write-direct-io

Writing data to TARGET partition without cache

--read-direct-io

Reading data from SOURCE partition without cache

-B,  --no_block_detail

Show progress message without block detail

--binary-prefix

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

--prog-second

Show progress in seconds (default is minute)

-E, --offset=X

Add offset X (bytes) to OUTPUT

-T,  --btfiles

Restore block as file for ClonezillaBT​.

-t,  --btfiles_torrent

Restore block as file for ClonezillaBT but only generate torrent​.

-n, --note NOTE

Display Message Note (128 words)​.

-h,  --help

Show summary of options​.

-v,  --version

Show version of program​.

/var/log/partclone​.log

The log file of partclone

 clone /dev/hda1 to hda1​.img and display debug information​.
   partclone​.ext3 -c -d -s /dev/hda1 -o hda1​.img

 restore /dev/hda1 from hda1​.img and display debug information​.
   partclone​.extfs -r -d -s hda1​.img -o /dev/hda1

 restore image from clonezilla (split, gzip,) with stdin source
   cat sda1​.ext3-ptcl-img​.gz​.a* | gunzip -c | partclone​.ext3 -d -r -s - -o /dev/sda1

The following diagnostics may be issued on stderr:

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

Report bugs to thomas@clonezilla​.org or http://partclone.org​.

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

partclone(8), partclone.chkimg(8), partclone.restore(8), partclone.dd(8), partclone.info(8)

Yu-Chin Tsai <​thomas@clonezilla​.org​>

Copyright © 2007 Yu-Chin Tsai

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

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​.

On Debian systems, the complete text of the GNU General Public License can be found in /usr/share/common-licenses/GPL​.

partclone.chkimg(8), partclone.dd(8), partclone.info(8), partclone.ntfsfixboot(8), partclone.restore(8).

The man pages partclone.apfs(8), partclone.btrfs(8), partclone.exfat(8), partclone.ext2(8), partclone.ext3(8), partclone.ext4(8), partclone.ext4dev(8), partclone.extfs(8), partclone.f2fs(8), partclone.fat(8), partclone.fat12(8), partclone.fat16(8), partclone.fat32(8), partclone.hfs+(8), partclone.hfsp(8), partclone.hfsplus(8), partclone.imager(8), partclone.minix(8), partclone.nilfs2(8), partclone.ntfs(8), partclone.vfat(8) and partclone.xfs(8) are aliases of partclone(8).