---
name: "dskdump"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "libdsk-utils"
version: "1.5.9+dfsg-1+b2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dskdump"
---

# dskdump(1)

Sector-level copy from one floppy or image file to another

## NAME

dskdump - Sector-level copy from one floppy or image file to another

## SYNOPSIS

**dskdump** \[*-itype TYPE*\] \[*-otype TYPE*\] \[*-iside SIDE*\] \[*-oside SIDE*\] \[*-icomp COMP*\] \[*-ocomp COMP*\] \[*-idstep*\] \[*-odstep*\] \[*-retry COUNT*\] \[*-format FMT*\] \[*-first CYLINDER*\] \[*-last CYLINDER*\] *INPUT-IMAGE* *OUTPUT-IMAGE*

## DESCRIPTION

Dskdump copies floppy discs or images, optionally converting image types. Unlike  *[dsktrans(1)](/dsktrans/1.md),* *dskdump* can handle discs with different numbers or sizes of sector on different  tracks.

## OPTIONS

- **-itype TYPE**

  Determines which driver is to be used to read from the source disc.

  - **auto**

    Select according to the disc image file. This is the default.

  - **dsk**

    Use the DSK (CPCEmu format) image driver.

  - **edsk**

    Use the extended version of the DSK format.

  - **floppy**

    Use the floppy driver.

  - **myz80**

    Use the hard disk (MYZ80 format) image driver. (This format cannot be autodetected.)

  - **cfi**

    Use the CFI (DOS fdcopy format) image driver. (This format cannot be autodetected.)

  - **apridisk**

    Use the ApriDisk image driver (from the utility of the same name). (This format cannot be autodetected.)

  - **raw**

    Use the raw driver.

- **-otype TYPE**

  Determines which driver is to be used to write to the destination disc. The drivers are as for -itype.

- **-icomp COMP**

  Select the compression method used on the source disc image file (has no effect when reading a floppy disc).

  - **auto**

    Detect from the first few bytes of the file. This is the default.

  - **sq**

    Huffman coded (SQ / USQ).

  - **gz**

    Gzipped (gzip / gunzip).

  - **bz2**

    Burrows-Wheeler compressed (bzip2 / bunzip2).

- **-ocomp COMP**

  Select the compression to be used on output. Compression methods are as for -icomp, except that bz2 cannot be used.

- **-iside SIDE**

  Determines which side (0 or 1) of the source disc is to be read from.

- **-oside SIDE**

  Determines which side (0 or 1) of the destination disc is to be written to.

- **-idstep**

  Double-step the source drive (used to read 360k discs in 1.2Mb drives). Only supported by the Linux floppy driver.

- **-odstep**

  Double-step the destination drive (used to write 360k discs in 1.2Mb drives). Only supported by the Linux floppy driver.

- **-retry COUNT**

  Set the number of times to attempt a read/write/format in case of error.

- **-format FMT**

  Do not autodetect the disc format; use the named format.  *dskdump* does not make extensive use of the disc format; it is chiefly used to  provide a guess at the number of tracks to dump.

- **-first CYL**

  Start copying at the specified cylinder. Cylinders prior to this will not be  formatted or written.

- **-last CYL**

  Copy up to and including the specified cylinder.

- **-odstep**

  Double-step the destination drive (used to write 360k discs in 1.2Mb drives). Only supported by the Linux floppy driver.

## SEE ALSO

[dsktrans(1)](/dsktrans/1.md)

## AUTHOR

John Elliott \<seasip.webmaster@gmail.com\>.