raw2hdf(1)

📦
version 1.4.6 · 2 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 raw2hdf(1) — the Emulators glow-up

okay bestie, you found a manual page and it's from the Emulators section, section 1, and it's literally called raw2hdf. let's get into it ✨

🌸 NAME 🌸

raw2hdf — make an .hdf hard disk image out of a raw data file. that's the whole vibe. 💅

🦋 SYNOPSIS 🦋

raw2hdf [OPTION] rawfile hdffile

yes queen, two files, in that order. no cap.

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

so here's the tea 🍓: raw2hdf takes a binary dump of a hard disk's data and turns it into an IDE disk image in .hdf format, so you can use it with Sinclair ZX Spectrum emulators. it's giving converter, it's giving glow-up, it's giving your raw dump but make it fashion. 💖

👑 OPTIONS 👑

  • -v version — tells it which version of .hdf image to make. the valid values are 1.0 for a version 1.0 file and 1.1 for a version 1.1 file. if you don't say anything it just defaults to making version 1.1 files, because 1.1 is the moment and it knows it. ⭐
  • -h, --help — gives you the brief usage help, listing the available options. your lil cheat sheet, iykyk. 🎀
  • -V, --version — outputs version information. not to be confused with lowercase -v, bestie, that one is the file format version. uppercase is the program version. 💀
  • rawfile — this is the raw data file you wanna convert. and plot twist, it can also be a block device corresponding to an actual disk. iconic. 🫶
  • hdffile — and this is the .hdf file it's gonna create for you. 🌈

💜 NOTES 💜

real talk for a sec 🧚: raw2hdf has no knowledge of the geometry of the disk the original image came from. and honestly? the input file doesn't even have to come from a real IDE disk at all. so there is no guarantee that the info in the .hdf file header actually represents the original disk. it said "i'm not a mind reader, babe."

however — and this is the saving grace — it will attempt to construct a header that's consistent with the size of the image, so the .hdf file it produces is functionally equivalent. it's doing its best and its best is genuinely good. 😭💖

🔥 BUGS 🔥

None known. literally flawless. periodt. 👑

🌟 SEE ALSO 🌟

the .hdf format specification, at http://www.zxshed.co.uk/sinclairfaq/index.php5?title=HDF_format.

the comp.sys.sinclair Spectrum FAQ, at http://www.worldofspectrum.org/faq/index.html.

🎀 AUTHOR 🎀

Matthew Westcott (matthew@west.co.tt). we stan. 💜

and that's the whole page! this one came from version 1.4.6, dated 25th July, 2026, and yeah it lives under raw2hdf(1) — so go make some disk images, bestie, you've got this 🦋✨💖

📦 where this page comes from