gnuddrescue utility script

[maximus57]

Hopefully this is a good place to post this. I am working on a ddrescue utility script. My end goal was for it to be a menu driven frontend for ddrescue. However, right now it is a functional script that will take a ddrescue log and find all files on the entire drive that are corrupt, and I think that is all I will end up making it. It currently does pretty much what I want it to do, but I may make updates to fix bugs or tweak it. Read the text at the beginning of the file (or use the help function) for dependencies and info. I will update this periodically as I make new versions. Enjoy.

Features:
Finds the files related to bad sectors
Uses the logfile from gnuddrescue
Can also use a file with a sector list
Works on a whole drive or single partition
Works on a target device or image file
Works on NTFS, EXT2/3/4, FAT16/32, and HFS+ partitions
Works on DOS, GPT, and APT partitioned drives
Should be faster than other methods (md5sum and grep) in most cases
Does not (knowingly) write to or alter the target
File system of target does not have to be mounted
Uses command line arguments

Changelog:
version 1.3
* Initial release

version 1.4
* Added MAN page
+ Made improvements to --help output
* Added support for HFS+ file system
* Added support for GPT and APT partition tables
* Improved some of the code
+ Improved how it handles loop devices
+ Improved handling of FAT partitions
+ Changed names of temp files so less likely to be existing file
+ Target, logfile, and output file names can now contain spaces
+ Added option to change sector size
+ Added option to include more info in long results
+ Changed command line arguments
* Fixed bug so Linux partitions get correct block size
* Major code reconstruction to make it more modular


It is now hosted in a PPA, here is the link:
https://launchpad.net/~scott-dwyer/+archive/ddrutility

To install this on Ubuntu 9.10 and newer from the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:scott-dwyer/ddrutility
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ddrutility

Version 1.3 is on Ubuntu Rescue Remix 12.04. To use the latest version with a live CD you will have to download the .sh file and put it on another media such a a USB flash drive and run it from there.

Download links for both .sh and .deb files

[maximus57]

Here are previous versions, if the need should arise.

Note that both 0.12b and 1.3 have a bug that Linux partitions only work properly if the block size of the filesystem is 4096.

[bakegoodz]

Awesome to find someone interested in what I've been working on. Check out my ddrescue front end at triagelinux.com

Script files are here
http://triagelinux.com/downloads/scripts.zip

[maximus57]

Awesome to find someone interested in what I've been working on. Check out my ddrescue front end at triagelinux.com

Script files are here
http://triagelinux.com/downloads/scripts.zip

Cool, thanks for the link to the scripts. If I do end up going farther with what I have, I may use some of your ideas in my script, hope you don't mind. If I do I will give credit where credit is due.

Edit: I just saw your reply on the ddrescue bugreport. If you use my script in your frontend, maybe I won't have to make one

[maximus57]

My script is being considered to be put on the next version of Ubuntu Rescue Remix. But I need to turn it into a Debian package. Can someone help point me in the right direction for that?

Also, I am interested in anyone testing my script. I have put it through many tests, but the outside world needs to test it so I can get some feedback.

[bakegoodz]

Here is basics of deb files. A simple deb file is just a compressed folder with a yourproject/DEBIAN/control text file giving the package information and a binary in yourproject/usr/bin or where you want the files to end up. Other library files etc can be added in their appropriate relative path folders.
You compress up the folder into a deb file with 'dpkg -b' command
More information here: http://www.linuxfordevices.com/c/a/L...-deb-packages/

Also you can easily make deb files out of source packages that you "make" with checkinstall
http://www.falkotimme.com/howtos/checkinstall/

[maximus57]

Ok, I have made a simple Debian control file and then made a .deb file. It would install on the system it was created on. But it won't install on a different system (fresh install of Ubuntu). By not install I mean when it opens with the Ubuntu software center, the install button cannot be clicked. No other messages are present. I think I am missing something.

[bakegoodz]

hum . . .post the deb file and I'll look at it

[maximus57]

I think I found the issue that was preventing Ubuntu Software Center from installing my deb package. It seems that the software center must have an internet connection before it will install anything, even if it is local. I was trying it offline with no updates. I put it online and it installed (after a lengthy online negotiation of some sort). But dpkg -i will install it just fine, even with no internet connection.

I am going to make a few tweaks to my script before posting as a deb file. Mostly I want it to be able to inform the user if certain requirements are not met and which functions will not work because of that. Plus I am still wrestling around with a permanent name to call it.

And I still am not sure if that will be enough for it to end up on Ubuntu Rescue Remix. I might need to get it into a repository (even a personal one), and there might be more requirements from what I have read. It almost seems to me that the easy part was writing the script...

[maximus57]

Update: Moved file to first post

Here is my first attempt at a .deb file.
Updated: made the owner root before creating package.