Exact imaging of non-OS floppies?
Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: Exact imaging of non-OS floppies?
started by: RoGuE_StreaK
Posted by RoGuE_StreaK on Jan. 09 2005,04:37
Just had the thought after yet another failure to create non-OS disk images under DOS and windoze.I, and many others, have an Ensoniq Mirage sampling keyboard (of the musical variety, that is), circa 1984 or so. Problem being, the OS floppies are unreadable under DOS and windoze, so you can't make backups, or share image files (non-copyrighted ones) with other people who have acquired one of the old beasts but no disks to go with it.
So, as Linux gives you more direct access to things like floppy drives (correct?), is there an app or method that could be used under DSL to create and write such a disk image, as an exact copy of the disk structure? Would give DSL yet another claim to fame, helping revive dying musical beasts!
PS. The floppies are generally single-sided double-density, sometimes double-sided. Not high-density.
Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 09 2005,06:01
the command 'dd' might workdd if=<inputfile/device> of=<outputfile/device>
Posted by cbagger01 on Jan. 10 2005,04:37
In other words:sudo su #May not be required
dd if=/dev/fd0 of=/home/dsl/my_backup.img
And to create a new floppy disk:
sudo su
dd if=/home/dsl/my_backup.img of=/dev/fd0
Be VERY careful abot your input vs output device/filenames. If you type in the command backwards then you will accidentally erase your floppy disk or accidentally erase your backup file.
Posted by RoGuE_StreaK on Jan. 10 2005,06:07
Hmm, when I try to mount the floppy it says that it is unable to mount it, and then when I try the dd if of, it comes up with the error: "dd: /dev/fd0: Input/Output error"My uneducated guess is that it wants to mount it first, but because the disk structure is not a standard formatted structure, it refuses to mount it?
Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 10 2005,06:13
You shouldn't mount a disk when using dd. It reads and writes directly to the device rather than the mount point.
Posted by RoGuE_StreaK on Jan. 10 2005,07:53
Well, I tried mounting the floppy, but it refused to mount, so when I used dd the floppy was unmounted?
Posted by mikshaw on Jan. 10 2005,14:43
oh....okay. I did say 'might work' rather than 'will work' 
Your i/o error might be related to a corrupt floppy rather than un unrecognized filesystem. I think dd reads and writes raw data regardless of filesystem (<-- again, that's me guessing).
Posted by henk1955 on Jan. 10 2005,15:36
maybe this < linux device list > is of help. look at the "2 block Floppy disks" sectionyou say your disks are single or double sided or sigle or double densitie. so you may have to use /dev/fd0H720 or so?