dump.exfat

Print on-disk information for a given filesystem

$ dump.exfat [/dev/sdXY]

dump.exfat [-s | -b | -c cluster_no | -d dir_start_cluster] device

device
    The block device or disk image file containing the exFAT filesystem (e.g., /dev/sdXN or /path/to/image.img).

-s
    Dump the exFAT superblock information. This includes details like filesystem size, cluster size, and metadata locations.

-b
    Dump the exFAT allocation bitmap. This bitmap tracks which clusters are free and which are in use.

-c cluster_no
    Dump the raw content of a specific cluster number. The output will typically be in hexadecimal format.

-d dir_start_cluster
    Dump the directory entries starting from a specified cluster number. This allows inspection of file and directory metadata within a specific directory.

dump.exfat is a command-line utility used for low-level examination and dumping of information from an exFAT filesystem. It is part of the exfatprogs suite, which provides a comprehensive set of tools for managing exFAT filesystems on Linux. This command is primarily a diagnostic and debugging tool, allowing system administrators and developers to inspect various components of an exFAT filesystem, such as the superblock, allocation bitmaps, directory entries, and raw cluster content.

Unlike high-level tools like `ls` or `df`, dump.exfat provides a raw, block-level view of the filesystem's internal structures. It can be invaluable for understanding how data is organized on an exFAT volume, troubleshooting filesystem corruption, or verifying specific metadata attributes. By specifying different options, users can focus on particular parts of the filesystem to retrieve detailed, hexadecimal representations of the underlying data. It operates directly on a block device (e.g., /dev/sdXN) or a disk image file containing an exFAT filesystem.

• Requires root privileges (or sudo) to access block devices directly.
• The output is low-level and often in hexadecimal format, requiring knowledge of the exFAT filesystem structure to interpret effectively.
• dump.exfat is a read-only tool; it does not modify the filesystem. However, incorrect usage or interpretation of its output could lead to misdiagnoses.
• Ensure the exFAT filesystem is unmounted before performing detailed diagnostics with dump.exfat to avoid potential inconsistencies, though simply reading is generally safe.

dump.exfat is primarily intended for filesystem debugging, forensic analysis, and educational purposes to understand the exFAT structure. It is not designed for everyday filesystem operations.

Users should refer to exFAT specification documents or relevant filesystem documentation to fully interpret the hexadecimal output provided by dump.exfat.

This command is typically provided by the exfatprogs package on most modern Linux distributions.

The exFAT filesystem was developed by Microsoft for flash memory devices. Initial Linux support was often provided through FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) modules, such as `exfat-fuse`. Over time, native kernel support for exFAT was integrated into the Linux kernel, significantly improving performance and reliability. The exfatprogs suite, which includes dump.exfat, emerged as the official and highly recommended set of user-space utilities for managing exFAT filesystems on Linux, often replacing older `exfat-utils` packages. Its ongoing development ensures robust and up-to-date tooling alongside kernel support.

mkfs.exfat(8), fsck.exfat(8), mount(8), debugfs(8), xfs_db(8)