Linux › Section C · Devices › Topic C.2
The sysfs device path and dd
A name such as /dev/sda says little about the hardware behind it, so the kernel also publishes a detailed map of every device under /sys. And when you need to copy raw data to or from a device, dd does the job byte for byte, which makes it both indispensable and dangerous.
In this topic
- Why /dev is not enough
- The layout of /sys
- Attribute files
- From a device file to its sysfs path
- Worked example: a disk's size from sysfs
- dd: copying raw data
- More dd options
- Worked example: cutting and patching a file
- Using dd on real devices safely
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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