# dd

<!-- spell-checker:ignore convs iseek oseek -->

```
dd [OPERAND]...
dd OPTION
```

Copy, and optionally convert, a file system resource

## After Help

### Operands

- `bs=BYTES` : read and write up to BYTES bytes at a time (default: 512);
   overwrites `ibs` and `obs`.
- `cbs=BYTES` : the 'conversion block size' in bytes. Applies to the
   `conv=block`, and `conv=unblock` operations.
- `conv=CONVS` : a comma-separated list of conversion options or (for legacy
   reasons) file flags.
- `count=N` : stop reading input after N ibs-sized read operations rather
   than proceeding until EOF. See `iflag=count_bytes` if stopping after N bytes
   is preferred
- `ibs=N` : the size of buffer used for reads (default: 512)
- `if=FILE` : the file used for input. When not specified, stdin is used instead
- `iflag=FLAGS` : a comma-separated list of input flags which specify how the
   input source is treated. FLAGS may be any of the input-flags or general-flags
   specified below.
- `skip=N` (or `iseek=N`) : skip N ibs-sized records into input before beginning
   copy/convert operations. See iflag=seek_bytes if seeking N bytes is preferred.
- `obs=N` : the size of buffer used for writes (default: 512)
- `of=FILE` : the file used for output. When not specified, stdout is used
   instead
- `oflag=FLAGS` : comma separated list of output flags which specify how the
   output source is treated. FLAGS may be any of the output flags or general
   flags specified below
- `seek=N` (or `oseek=N`) : seeks N obs-sized records into output before
   beginning copy/convert operations. See oflag=seek_bytes if seeking N bytes is
   preferred
- `status=LEVEL` : controls whether volume and performance stats are written to
   stderr.

  When unspecified, dd will print stats upon completion. An example is below.

  ```plain
    6+0 records in
    16+0 records out
    8192 bytes (8.2 kB, 8.0 KiB) copied, 0.00057009 s,
    14.4 MB/s
  ```

  The first two lines are the 'volume' stats and the final line is the
  'performance' stats.
  The volume stats indicate the number of complete and partial ibs-sized reads,
  or obs-sized writes that took place during the copy. The format of the volume
  stats is `<complete>+<partial>`. If records have been truncated (see
  `conv=block`), the volume stats will contain the number of truncated records.

  Possible LEVEL values are:
  - `progress` : Print periodic performance stats as the copy proceeds.
  - `noxfer` : Print final volume stats, but not performance stats.
  - `none` : Do not print any stats.

  Printing performance stats is also triggered by the INFO signal (where supported),
  or the USR1 signal. Setting the POSIXLY_CORRECT environment variable to any value
  (including an empty value) will cause the USR1 signal to be ignored.

### Conversion Options

- `ascii` : convert from EBCDIC to ASCII. This is the inverse of the `ebcdic`
  option. Implies `conv=unblock`.
- `ebcdic` : convert from ASCII to EBCDIC. This is the inverse of the `ascii`
  option. Implies `conv=block`.
- `ibm` : convert from ASCII to EBCDIC, applying the conventions for `[`, `]`
  and `~` specified in POSIX. Implies `conv=block`.

- `ucase` : convert from lower-case to upper-case.
- `lcase` : converts from upper-case to lower-case.

- `block` : for each newline less than the size indicated by cbs=BYTES, remove
  the newline and pad with spaces up to cbs. Lines longer than cbs are truncated.
- `unblock` : for each block of input of the size indicated by cbs=BYTES, remove
  right-trailing spaces and replace with a newline character.

- `sparse` : attempts to seek the output when an obs-sized block consists of
  only zeros.
- `swab` : swaps each adjacent pair of bytes. If an odd number of bytes is
  present, the final byte is omitted.
- `sync` : pad each ibs-sided block with zeros. If `block` or `unblock` is
  specified, pad with spaces instead.
- `excl` : the output file must be created. Fail if the output file is already
  present.
- `nocreat` : the output file will not be created. Fail if the output file in
  not already present.
- `notrunc` : the output file will not be truncated. If this option is not
  present, output will be truncated when opened.
- `noerror` : all read errors will be ignored. If this option is not present,
  dd will only ignore Error::Interrupted.
- `fdatasync` : data will be written before finishing.
- `fsync` : data and metadata will be written before finishing.

### Input flags

- `count_bytes` : a value to `count=N` will be interpreted as bytes.
- `skip_bytes` : a value to `skip=N` will be interpreted as bytes.
- `fullblock` : wait for ibs bytes from each read. zero-length reads are still
  considered EOF.

### Output flags

- `append` : open file in append mode. Consider setting conv=notrunc as well.
- `seek_bytes` : a value to seek=N will be interpreted as bytes.

### General Flags

- `direct` : use direct I/O for data.
- `directory` : fail unless the given input (if used as an iflag) or
  output (if used as an oflag) is a directory.
- `dsync` : use synchronized I/O for data.
- `sync` : use synchronized I/O for data and metadata.
- `nonblock` : use non-blocking I/O.
- `noatime` : do not update access time.
- `nocache` : request that OS drop cache.
- `noctty` : do not assign a controlling tty.
- `nofollow` : do not follow system links.