{"id":68042,"date":"2023-07-28T18:01:04","date_gmt":"2023-07-28T10:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=68042"},"modified":"2025-04-12T20:44:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-12T12:44:41","slug":"linux-command-dd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/linux-command-dd\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use dd in Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"

The dd<\/code> Linux command is use for file conversion and copying. The name dd<\/code> stands for \u2018Data Duplicator\u2019 which reflects its primary function \u2013 to copy and convert raw data.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s known for its ability to handle tasks that other similar commands can\u2019t perform as effectively, such as creating bootable USB drives, copying data between hard drives, or even rescuing data from damaged drives.<\/p>\n

However, it\u2019s important to use dd<\/code> with caution. Because it operates on a low level, you can easily overwrite important data if you\u2019re not careful.<\/p>\n

Here are some ways to use the dd<\/code> command:<\/p>\n

1. Copy a File<\/h3>\n

The basic syntax for copying a file is dd if=inputfile<\/strong> of=outputfile<\/strong><\/code>.<\/p>\n

dd if=input.txt of=output.txt<\/pre>\n
2. Create an ISO Image from a CD\/DVD<\/h3>\n
You can use dd<\/code> to create an ISO image from a CD or DVD.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/dev\/cdrom of=\/home\/user\/cdrom_image.iso<\/pre>\n
3. Create a Bootable USB Drive<\/h3>\n
If you have an ISO image of a Linux distribution, you can write it to a USB drive to create a bootable USB stick<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Replace \/dev\/sdb<\/code> with the path to your USB drive.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/path\/to\/linux.iso of=\/dev\/sdb bs=4M<\/pre>\n
4. Backup an Entire Drive<\/h3>\n
You can use dd<\/code> to create a backup of an entire drive.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/dev\/sda of=\/path\/to\/backup.img<\/pre>\n
5. Restore a Drive from a Backup Image<\/h3>\n
You can restore a drive from a backup image created with dd<\/code>.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/path\/to\/backup.img of=\/dev\/sda<\/pre>\n
6. Copy a Partition<\/h3>\n
You can use dd<\/code> to copy a partition to another partition.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/dev\/sda1 of=\/dev\/sdb1<\/pre>\n
7. Create a File of a Certain Size<\/h3>\n
You can use dd<\/code> to create a file of a certain size filled with zero bytes.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/dev\/zero of=file.txt bs=1M count=100<\/pre>\n
This command creates a file named file.txt<\/code> that is 100MB<\/code> in size.<\/p>\n
8. Securely Erase a Disk<\/h3>\n
You can use dd<\/code> to securely erase a disk by overwriting it with random bytes.<\/p>\n
dd if=\/dev\/urandom of=\/dev\/sda bs=4M\r\n<\/pre>\n
dd<\/code> vs. cp<\/code> in Linux<\/h2>\n
The dd<\/code> and cp<\/code> commands in Linux are both used for copying data, but they serve different purposes and have different capabilities.<\/p>\n
The cp<\/a><\/code> command, short for copy, is used for copying files and directories. It is typically used for routine tasks such as creating a duplicate of a file or copying files from one directory to another. It operates on the file level, reading and writing data in such a way that the file\u2019s contents are copied.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, the dd<\/code> command operates on a lower level, directly reading and writing raw data from and to devices or files. This command is usually used for tasks such as creating and writing disk images, backing up and restoring entire partitions, or even creating bootable USB drives.<\/p>\n
Unlike cp<\/code>, dd<\/code> can be used to copy data between devices of different filesystems and can copy non-regular files like directories or device files.<\/p>\n
So, in summary, cp<\/code> is a more general-purpose command for duplicating files and directories, while dd<\/code> is a more specialized tool used for low-level operations involving raw data.<\/p>\n
More Linux commands:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Directory Operations<\/td>\nrmdir<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 cd<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 pwd<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 exa<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 ls<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
File Operations<\/td>\ncat<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 cp<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 dd<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 less<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 touch<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 ln<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 rename<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 more<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 head<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
File System Operations<\/td>\nchown<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 mkfs<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 locate<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Networking<\/td>\nping<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 curl<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 wget<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 iptables<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 mtr<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Search and Text Processing<\/td>\nfind<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 grep<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 sed<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 whatis<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 ripgrep<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 fd<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 tldr<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
System Information and Management<\/td>\nenv<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 history<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 top<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 who<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 htop<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 glances<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 lsof<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
User and Session Management<\/td>\nscreen<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 su<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 sudo<\/code><\/a> \u00b7 open<\/code><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The dd Linux command is use for file conversion and copying. The name dd stands for \u2018Data Duplicator\u2019 which reflects its primary function \u2013 to copy and convert raw data. It\u2019s known for its ability to handle tasks that other similar commands can\u2019t perform as effectively, such as creating bootable USB drives, copying data between…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3397],"tags":[888,3316],"topic":[],"class_list":["entry-content","is-maxi"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Use dd in Linux - Hongkiat<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The dd Linux command is use for file conversion and copying. 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