dd
Copy and convert data at the block level — used for disk images, backups, and benchmarks.
Synopsis
dd [OPERAND]...
Examples
dd if=/dev/sda of=backup.img bs=4M status=progress
dd if=/dev/zero of=testfile bs=1M count=100
dd if=ubuntu.iso of=/dev/sdb bs=4M status=progress
dd if=/dev/urandom of=random.bin bs=1M count=10
Common options
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
| if= | Input file |
| of= | Output file |
| bs= | Block size |
| count= | Number of blocks to copy |
| status=progress | Show transfer progress |
| conv= | Conversion options (notrunc, sync, etc) |
About dd
The `dd` command copy and convert data at the block level — used for disk images, backups, and benchmarks. Disk commands handle low-level storage operations including partitioning, formatting, filesystem checks, and block device management.
These tools are critical during system installation, storage expansion, data recovery, and performance tuning. Always exercise caution — disk operations can cause data loss if used incorrectly.
The command accepts 6 commonly used flags shown above, though the full set of options is available in the man page (`man dd`). The 4 examples on this page cover typical real-world usage patterns that you can copy and adapt for your own workflows.
Related commands
More Disk Commands
Other commands in the Disk category