ddrescue

I have written about ddrescue in an article before, but just mentioned it without explaining how to use it.

As I had to use it again this weekend, here is how things go:

Install ports

1. Go to:https://www.macports.org/install.php and download your ports version of choice.
2. reboot
3. sudo port -v selfupdate

Install ddrescue

sudo port install ddrescue

This can even go without xcode:

Warning: xcodebuild exists but failed to execute
Warning: Xcode does not appear to be installed; most ports will likely fail to build.

Test installation:

ddrescue --help
GNU ddrescue - Data recovery tool.
Copies data from one file or block device to another,
trying to rescue the good parts first in case of read errors.

Usage: ddrescue [options] infile outfile [mapfile]

Always use a mapfile unless you know you won't need it. Without a
mapfile, ddrescue can't resume a rescue, only reinitiate it.
NOTE: In versions of ddrescue prior to 1.20 the mapfile was called
'logfile'. The format is the same; only the name has changed.

If you reboot, check the device names before restarting ddrescue.
Do not use options '-F' or '-G' without reading the manual first.

Options:
  -h, --help                     display this help and exit
  -V, --version                  output version information and exit
  -a, --min-read-rate=    minimum read rate of good areas in bytes/s
  -A, --try-again                mark non-trimmed, non-scraped as non-tried
  -b, --sector-size=      sector size of input device [default 512]
  -B, --binary-prefixes          show binary multipliers in numbers [SI]
  -c, --cluster-size=   sectors to copy at a time [128]
  -C, --complete-only            do not read new data beyond mapfile limits
  -d, --idirect                  use direct disc access for input file
  -D, --odirect                  use direct disc access for output file
  -e, --max-errors=[+]        maximum number of [new] error areas allowed
  -E, --max-error-rate=   maximum allowed rate of read errors per second
  -f, --force                    overwrite output device or partition
  -F, --fill-mode=        fill blocks of given types with data (?*/-+l)
  -G, --generate-mode            generate approximate mapfile from partial copy
  -H, --test-mode=         set map of good/bad blocks from given mapfile
  -i, --input-position=   starting position of domain in input file [0]
  -I, --verify-input-size        verify input file size with size in mapfile
  -J, --verify-on-error          reread latest good sector after every error
  -K, --skip-size=[,]  initial size to skip on read error [64 KiB]
  -L, --loose-domain             accept an incomplete domain mapfile
  -m, --domain-mapfile=    restrict domain to finished blocks in file
  -M, --retrim                   mark all failed blocks as non-trimmed
  -n, --no-scrape                skip the scraping phase
  -N, --no-trim                  skip the trimming phase
  -o, --output-position=  starting position in output file [ipos]
  -O, --reopen-on-error          reopen input file after every read error
  -p, --preallocate              preallocate space on disc for output file
  -P, --data-preview[=]   show some lines of the latest data read [3]
  -q, --quiet                    suppress all messages
  -r, --retry-passes=         exit after  retry passes (-1=infinity) [0]
  -R, --reverse                  reverse the direction of all passes
  -s, --size=             maximum size of input data to be copied
  -S, --sparse                   use sparse writes for output file
  -t, --truncate                 truncate output file to zero size
  -T, --timeout=       maximum time since last successful read
  -u, --unidirectional           run all passes in the same direction
  -v, --verbose                  be verbose (a 2nd -v gives more)
  -w, --ignore-write-errors      make fill mode ignore write errors
  -x, --extend-outfile=   extend outfile size to be at least this long
  -X, --exit-on-error            exit after the first read error
  -y, --synchronous              use synchronous writes for output file
  -1, --log-rates=         log rates and error sizes in file
  -2, --log-reads=         log all read operations in file
      --ask                      ask for confirmation before starting the copy
      --cpass=[,]          select what copying pass(es) to run
      --max-read-rate=    maximum read rate in bytes/s
      --pause=         time to wait between passes [0]
Numbers may be in decimal, hexadecimal or octal, and may be followed by a
multiplier: s = sectors, k = 1000, Ki = 1024, M = 10^6, Mi = 2^20, etc...
Time intervals have the format 1[.5][smhd] or 1/2[smhd].

Exit status: 0 for a normal exit, 1 for environmental problems (file
not found, invalid flags, I/O errors, etc), 2 to indicate a corrupt or
invalid input file, 3 for an internal consistency error (eg, bug) which
caused ddrescue to panic.

Report bugs to bug-ddrescue@gnu.org
Ddrescue home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/ddrescue/ddrescue.html
General help using GNU software: http://www.gnu.org/gethelp

Find the right disk

diskutil list

Start ddrescue

sudo ddrescue -v /dev/disk3s2 /Volumes/backup/failing_drive_backup.dmg failing_drive_backup.log
GNU ddrescue 1.20
About to copy an unknown number of Bytes from /dev/disk3s2 to /Volumes/backup/failing_drive_backup.dmg.
    Starting positions: infile = 0 B,  outfile = 0 B
    Copy block size: 128 sectors       Initial skip size: 128 sectors
Sector size: 512 Bytes

Press Ctrl-C to interrupt
rescued:     7621 MB,   errsize:         0 B,    current rate:  10878 kB/s
   ipos:     7621 MB,    errors:         0,      average rate:  10484 kB/s
   opos:     7621 MB,  run time:      12m 7s,  remaining time:         n/a
time since last successful read:          0s

Faster

Found an good recommendation from Christian Schwang:

– instead of /dev/disk{x} you may use /dev/rdisk{x} – This will give a massive performance boost (in my testing transfer rate went from 30 MB to 130 MB). For detailed reason you may want to look at: http://lists.apple.com/archives/filesystem-dev/2012/Feb/msg00015.html

Result with the same drive as above:

sudo ddrescue -v /dev/rdisk3s2 /Volumes/backup/failing_drive_backup2.dmg failing_drive_backup2.log
Password:
GNU ddrescue 1.20
About to copy an unknown number of Bytes from /dev/rdisk3s2 to /Volumes/backup/failing_drive_backup2.dmg.
    Starting positions: infile = 0 B,  outfile = 0 B
    Copy block size: 128 sectors       Initial skip size: 128 sectors
Sector size: 512 Bytes

Press Ctrl-C to interrupt
rescued:     5215 MB,   errsize:         0 B,    current rate:  34209 kB/s
   ipos:     5215 MB,    errors:         0,      average rate:  33649 kB/s
   opos:     5215 MB,  run time:      2m 35s,  remaining time:         n/a
time since last successful read:          0s

Known issues

drescue: Can't open input file: Resource busy

Solution: Open the DiskUtility.app, and on your to-be-recued-drive, unmount any of it’s partitions.
Warning: Do not eject the USB hard drive.

more infos

https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/using-ddrescue-on-a-failing-hard-drive/

Amazon Music app ignore Mp3 folder

If you are using the Amazon Music App to access your Amazon prime music library from your Android device, it will display all mp3s found on the device. That might be odd if you have audiobooks or ringtones that you do not want ot be in your playlist.

The solution to ignore folder is to create an empty file with the name:

.nomedia

And place it into the folder you want to be ignored, refresh your media library in the App and all the folders will be ignored.

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