File: ddrescue.info,  Node: Emergency save,  Next: Optical media,  Prev: Mapfile structure,  Up: Top

8 Saving the mapfile in case of trouble
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The mapfile is an essential part of ddrescue's effectiveness. Without a
mapfile, ddrescue can't resume a rescue, only reinitiate it. Given that a
difficult rescue may take days to complete, it would be a serious drawback
if the mapfile were lost because of a solvable problem like a lack of space
on the device the mapfile is written to.

   In case of trouble writing the mapfile, ddrescue prints a message like
this:

     Error writing mapfile 'MAPFILE': No space left on device
     Fix the problem and press ENTER to retry,
                          or E+ENTER for an emergency save and exit,
                          or Q+ENTER to abort.

   You may try to fix the problem, for example deleting some files to make
room for the mapfile, and press  to retry.

   If the problem can't be fixed, you may press  followed by  to
try an emergency save and exit. Ddrescue tries to write the mapfile to the
file 'ddrescue.map' in the current directory or, if this fails, to
'$HOME/ddrescue.map'. If the mapfile is written successfully, ddrescue
exits with status 1. Else it prints the above message again.

   Or you may press  followed by  to quit and exit with status
1. In this case the content of the mapfile is lost.