---
name: "dskscan"
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/dskscan"
---

# dskscan(1)

Scan a floppy disc for sector headers

## NAME

dskscan - Scan a floppy disc for sector headers

## SYNOPSIS

**dskscan** \[*-type TYPE*\] \[*-side SIDE*\] \[*-comp COMP*\] \[*-dstep*\] \[*-retry COUNT*\] \[*-format FMT*\] \[*-first CYLINDER*\] \[*-last CYLINDER*\] \[*-xml*\] *DISKIMAGE*

## DESCRIPTION

Dskscan scans a floppy disc (or a disc image) and prints any  sector headers that it finds. It does not attempt to read the sectors.

## OPTIONS

- **-type TYPE**

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

- **-comp 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).

- **-side SIDE**

  Determines which side (0 or 1) of the source disc is to be scanned. If this  option is not present both sides will be scanned.

- **-dstep**

  Double-step the source drive (used to read 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. The format need only be an approximation to the actual format used by the disc.

- **-first CYL**

  Start scanning at the specified cylinder.

- **-last CYL**

  Scan up to and including the specified cylinder.

- **-xml**

  Output results as XML rather than as text; if you are launching  *dskscan* from another program which then parses what  *dskscan* prints, this may be easier for it to cope with.

## AUTHOR

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