partclone

creates and restores partition images while skipping empty blocks

TLDR

Clone partition to image file

$ sudo partclone.ext4 -c -s /dev/sdXY -o [path/to/backup.img]

Restore partition from image

$ sudo partclone.ext4 -r -s [path/to/backup.img] -o /dev/sdXY

Clone btrfs partition

$ sudo partclone.btrfs -c -s /dev/sdXY -o [path/to/backup.img]

Device to device clone

$ sudo partclone.ext4 -b -s /dev/sdX1 -o /dev/sdY1

Clone with rescue mode (continue after read errors)

$ sudo partclone.ext4 -c -R -s /dev/sdXY -o [path/to/backup.img]

Clone with ncurses interface

$ sudo partclone.ext4 -c -N -s /dev/sdXY -o [path/to/backup.img]

SYNOPSIS

partclone.fstype [-c|-r|-b] [-s source] [-o output] [options]

partclone creates and restores partition images while skipping empty blocks, resulting in smaller backup files and faster operations compared to raw disk imaging. Each filesystem type has its own binary that understands the filesystem structure.The tool reads only used blocks from the source filesystem, making backups significantly smaller than the partition size. This is especially beneficial for partially filled partitions.

PARAMETERS

-c, --clone

Clone partition to image file.

-r, --restore

Restore partition from image file.

-b, --dev-to-dev

Device to device clone.

-s source, --source source

Source device or image file.

-o output, --output output

Output device or image file.

-L file, --logfile file

Write log to file.

-C, --no-check

Skip filesystem check before clone.

-R, --rescue

Continue after disk read errors.

-N, --ncurses

Use Ncurses text user interface.

-O file, --overwrite file

Output file, overwriting if it exists.

-n, --note MSG

Add a note to the image (up to 128 words).

COMMANDS

partclone.ext4

Clone ext4 filesystems

partclone.btrfs

Clone btrfs filesystems

partclone.ntfs

Clone NTFS filesystems

partclone.fat32

Clone FAT32 filesystems

partclone.xfs

Clone XFS filesystems

partclone.dd

Raw block copy (any filesystem)

CAVEATS

Source partition should be unmounted during cloning. Filesystem-specific binary must match the partition type. Restored partitions may need fsck. Image files are not directly mountable.

HISTORY

partclone was developed as an efficient alternative to dd for partition backup. By understanding filesystem metadata, it achieves compression without needing external tools, making it popular for system backup and deployment scenarios.