Make an exact copy of a compact flash card

Pimple · 05-01-2005, 11:42 AM

I have a compact flash card which has a linux operating system installed on it. It is in an embedded system. I want to make an exact copy of the compact flash card to keep as a backup (I don't want to create my own file system or modify it). Any help on how to do this will be appreciated.

Vookimedlo · 05-01-2005, 12:03 PM

Try dd utility.

dd if=/dev/sda1 of=/tmp/backup-file

where sda1 is your USB device

Pimple · 05-02-2005, 10:02 PM

Thanks for your response but I still am not sure. It appears as though this command copies the contents of the compact flash card to the hard drive. Will the backup CF card be bootable when I copy the files to it. Can you help with a link to a how to?

oneandoneis2 · 05-03-2005, 02:55 AM

Quote:

It appears as though this command copies the contents of the compact flash card to the hard drive.

That's right!

And then when it's time to restore from backups, you reverse the process:

dd if=/dev/backup-file of=/dev/sda1

and your card is restored.

The dd utility works by reading data in raw format: Unlike, say, the cp file, which looks at the logical construction that is the file, dd reads the ones and zeros on the physical hard drive itself.

Pimple · 05-03-2005, 07:26 PM

Thanks for your comments. Do I make one efs2 partition on the blank compact flash card before copying back from the hard drive?

win32sux · 05-03-2005, 08:04 PM

nope... remember that dd gets everything from the device... this includes the partition table...

Pimple · 05-03-2005, 09:06 PM

Thanks, that should do it for me then. I will try it a post the results.

giulioudo · 01-24-2006, 09:36 AM

hi
I am interested in knowing if the procedure descibed works.
Could you post the results ?

sdubble · 02-01-2006, 11:37 AM

I am also quite curious how this turned out for you. I've been trying to do something similar for the last week and recently turned to the forum.