PARTCLONE(8)

📦
version 0.3.47 · 7 versions
, in ubuntu stonking

💖 PARTCLONE(8) 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this is the Partclone User Manual and it's genuinely one of the most useful things in the whole Unix ecosystem, no cap. this is the partclone page from the Partclone project and i'm gonna walk you through every single flag like we're studying for the exam together 🫶

✨ NAME ✨

partclone — the utility for clone and restore a partition. that's it, that's the whole vibe. it copies your partitions and it brings them back. iconic behavior honestly 💅

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

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]]

like look at that. it's giving options for days 🌈 and yes we're going through every single one of them, don't even try to scroll past.

✨ DESCRIPTION ✨

partclone.[fstype] is a part of the Partclone project. Partclone provides utilities to back up used blocks and it's designed for higher compatibility with the file system by using an existing library — for example, e2fslibs is what it uses to read the used blocks of an ext2 partition. bestie it's literally reusing the filesystem's own brain instead of guessing. main character energy 🧠✨

The file systems Partclone supports include btrfs, ext2, ext3, ext4, reiserfs, reiser4, xfs and jfs for LINUX. It also supports some non-Linux operating systems, ex: NTFS, FAT and EXFAT (for Windows), HFS plus (APPLE MAC OS), UFS2 (FreeBSD), VMFS (VMWare Vsphere) and MINIX (MINIX3). like it's polyglot, it speaks every filesystem dialect, obsessed 😭

All partclone utils can be run in a way that's very similar to fsck or mkfs. For example, for backup/restore hfsplus, just run partclone.hfsp 💫

here's the whole little family tree of which binary handles which filesystem:

  • 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

✨ OPTIONS ✨

The program follows the usual GNU command line syntax, with long options starting with two dashes (-). A summary of options is included below. (yes bestie, the dashes are literally the personality of GNU, we stan consistency 💅)

  • -s FILE, --source FILE — the Source FILE. That FILE could be an image file (made by partclone) or a device, depending on your action. Normally, backup source is a device and restore source is an image file.
Receiving data from a pipe line is supported ONLY for restoring — just ignore the -s option, or use - to mean "receive data from stdin". 🫶
  • -o FILE, --output FILE — the Output FILE. That FILE could be an image file (which partclone will generate) or a device, depending on your action. Normally, backup output is an image file and restore output is a device.
Sending data to a pipe line is also supported ONLY for back-up — just ignore the -o option, or use - to mean "send data to stdout". 🌸
  • -O FILE, --overwrite FILE — overwrite FILE, overwriting if it exists. yeah it just Says That. brutal but honest 💀
  • -W FILE, --restore_raw_file FILE — create a special raw file for a 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 are both devices.
  • -D, --domain — create a GNU Ddrescue domain log file from the source device. This is a human readable file in which + marks used block areas and ? marks free areas. so cute and legible, we love a mappable format ⭐
  • --offset_domain=X — add X (in bytes) to all positions reported in the domain log file.
  • --restore_raw_file — creating a special raw file for loop device. (yes this one shows up again, it's just like that)
  • -L FILE, --logfile FILE — put a special path to record partclone log information. (default /var/log/partclone.log)
  • -R, --rescue — continue after disk read errors. your disk is throwing tantrums, this option says "we ball" 🔥
  • -C, --no_check — don't check device size and free space.
  • -N, --ncurses — using the 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 a special second to a 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 is:
    • 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 happen. persistent queen behavior 👑
  • --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.

✨ FILES ✨

  • /var/log/partclone.log — the log file of partclone. it's where it writes down everything it's been up to, like a little diary 💜

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

okay this is the part where it all clicks, bestie, watch this 👀

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

see that - in the last one?? that's the "i'm getting my data from the pipe bestie" move, and it ATE 🌈✨

✨ DIAGNOSTICS ✨

The following diagnostics may be issued on stderr:

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

  • 0 — Program exited successfully. 🎉 slay
  • 1 — Clone or Restore seem failed. 😭 it's giving tragedy

✨ BUGS ✨

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

You can get support at http://partclone.org. they're nice, they won't bite 💖

✨ SEE ALSO ✨

partclone(8), partclone.chkimg(8), partclone.restore(8), partclone.dd(8), partclone.info(8) — the whole friend group, go say hi 🦋

✨ AUTHOR ✨

Yu-Chin Tsai <thomas@clonezilla.org> — thank you for our lives, king 👑

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.

and that's the whole page bestie, we did it, we read every flag, every default, every return code, no skips, no shortcuts 😌✨ this was the partclone manual, page PARTCLONE(8), from the Partclone User Manual, dated 07/23/2026, and honestly? it ate. periodt. 💅🎀🫶

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