usage.md

Usage

Hst Imager console app is invoked from the command line using the hst.imager command.

Invoking hst.imager command without any arguments, which will display available commands and options.

Example of displaying usage:

hst.imager

The command line options for the Hst Imager console app are listed in the following sections.

Administrator privileges

Commands accessing physical drives requires administrator privileges:

• Windows: Run hst.imager command from Command Prompt started as Administrator.
• macOS and Linux: Run hst.imager command from Terminal or shell with sudo, e.g. sudo hst.imager list to list physical drives.

Hst Imager will only allow access to removeable or USB attached physical drives.

List physical drives

Lists physical drives. Requires administrator privileges.

Example of listing physical drives:

hst.imager list

Display information about a physical drive or image file

Displays information about a physical drive or image file by reading Master Boot Record and Rigid Disk Block and displays a table with partition tables present. Physical drives requires administrator privileges.

Example of display information about a Windows physical drive:

hst.imager info \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2

Example of display information about a Linux physical drive:

hst.imager info /dev/sdb

Example of display information about an 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager info 4gb.vhd

Read physical drive to image file

Reads physical drive to an image file. Requires administrator privileges.

Example of displaying usage for reading a physical drive to an image file:

hst.imager read \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2 4gb.vhd

Example of reading Windows physical drive to 4gb.vhd image file:

hst.imager read \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2 4gb.vhd

Example of reading Linux physical drive to 4gb.vhd image file:

hst.imager read /dev/sdb 4gb.vhd

Write image file to physical drive

Writes an image file to physical drive. Requires administrator privileges.

Example of displaying usage for writing an image file to a physical drive:

hst.imager write

Example of writing 4GB vhd image file to Windows physical drive:

hst.imager write 4gb.vhd \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2

Example of writing 4GB vhd image file to Linux physical drive:

hst.imager write 4gb.vhd /dev/sdb

Compare physical drive and image file

Compares physical drive or image file and physical drive image file are identical. Physical drives requires administrator privileges.

Example of displaying usage for writing an image file to a physical drive:

hst.imager compare

Example of comparing 4GB vhd image file and Windows physical drive:

hst.imager compare 4gb.vhd \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2

Example of comparing 4GB vhd image file and Linux physical drive:

hst.imager compare 4gb.vhd /dev/sdb

Example of comparing 4GB vhd image file and 4GB img image file:

hst.imager compare 4gb.vhd 4gb.img

Convert an image file

Converts an image file from one format to another.

Example of displaying usage for converting an image file:

hst.imager convert

Example of converting 4GB img image file to vhd image file:

hst.imager convert 4gb.img 4gb.vhd

Example of converting 4GB vhd image file to img image file:

hst.imager convert 4gb.vhd 4gb.img

Create a blank image file

Creates a blank image file with a defined size.

Example of displaying usage for creating a blank image file:

hst.imager blank

Example of creating a blank 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager blank 4gb.vhd 4gb

Example of creating a blank 4GB img image file:

hst.imager blank 4gb.img 4gb

Optimize image file size

Optimize image file size changes image file size to a either defined size or size of Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for optimizing image file size:

hst.imager optimize

Example of optimizing the size of a 16GB img image file to 4GB:

hst.imager optimize 16gb.img -s 4gb

Example of optimizing the size of a 16GB img image file to size of Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager optimize 16gb.img -rdb

Read Master Boot Record information

Reads Master Boot Record from sector 0 and displays a table with partitions.

Example of displaying usage for reading Master Boot Record information:

hst.imager mbr info

Example of reading Master Boot Record information of a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr info 4gb.vhd

Initialize Master Boot Record

Initializes a new Master Boot Record. Existing Master Boot Record will be overwritten.

Example of displaying usage for initializing a new Master Boot Record:

hst.imager mbr init

Example of initializing Master Boot Record on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr init 4gb.vhd

Add partition to Master Boot Record

Adds a partition to Master Boot Record with a defined size.

Automatically select next available start sector, if not defined

Example of displaying usage for adding a partition to Master Boot Record:

hst.imager mbr part add

Example of adding a FAT32 partition of 100MB to Master Boot Record on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr part add 4gb.vhd FAT32 100mb

Example of adding a FAT32 partition of remaining space to Master Boot Record on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr part add 4gb.vhd FAT32 *

Delete partition from Master Boot Record

Deletes a partition from Master Boot Record.

Example of displaying usage for deleting a partition from Master Boot Record:

hst.imager mbr part del

Example of delete partition number 1 from Master Boot Record on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr part del 4gb.vhd 1

Format partition in Master Boot Record

Formats a partition in Master Boot Record.

Example of displaying usage for formatting a partition in Master Boot Record:

hst.imager mbr part format

Example of formatting partition number 1 with label "PC" in Master Boot Record on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager mbr part format 4gb.vhd 1 PC

Read Rigid Disk Block information

Reads Rigid Disk Block from sector 0-15 and displays a table with partitions.

Example of displaying usage for reading Rigid Disk Block information:

hst.imager rdb info

Example of reading Rigid Disk Block information from a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb info 4gb.vhd

Initialize Rigid Disk Block

Initializes a new Rigid Disk Block. Existing Rigid Disk Block will be overwritten.

Example of displaying usage for initializing Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb init

Example of initializing Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb init 4gb.vhd

Example of initializing Rigid Disk Block using cylinders, heads and sectors on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb init 4gb.vhd -chs 800,16,63

Add file system to Rigid Disk Block

Adds a file system to Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for adding file system to Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb fs add

Example of adding a file system with dos type PDS3 to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs add 4gb.vhd pfs3aio PDS3

Delete file system from Rigid Disk Block

Deletes a file system from Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for deleting a file system from Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb fs del

Example of deleting file system number 1 from Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs del 4gb.vhd 1

Export file system from Rigid Disk Block

Exports a file system from Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for exporting a file system from Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb fs export

Example of exporting file system number 1 to file pfs3aio from Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs export 4gb.vhd 1 pfs3aio

Import file systems to Rigid Disk Block

Imports file systems from physical drive, image file or Amiga Disk File (.adf) to Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for importing file systems to Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb fs import

Example of importing file systems from a Windows physical drive to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs import 4gb.vhd \\.\PHYSICALDRIVE2

Example of importing file systems from a 16GB vhd image file to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs import 4gb.vhd 16gb.vhd

Example of importing FastFileSystem from Amiga OS 3.1 install disk .adf to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs import 4gb.vhd amiga-os-310-install.adf DOS3 FastFileSystem

Update file system in Rigid Disk Block

Updates a file system in Rigid Disk Block.

DOS Type updates will also update partitions using Dos type defined for file system.

Example of displaying usage for updating a file system in Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb fs update

Example of updating file system number 1 with dos type PFS3 in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb fs update 4gb.vhd 1 --dos-type PFS3

Add partition to Rigid Disk Block

Adds a partition to Rigid Disk Block with a defined size.

Automatically select next available start cylinder.

Example of displaying usage for add partition to Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part add

Example of adding a bootable PDS3 partition of 100MB with device name DH0 to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part add 4gb.vhd DH0 PDS3 100mb --bootable

Example of adding a PDS3 partition of remaining space with device name DH0 to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part add 4gb.vhd DH0 PDS3 *

Delete partition from Rigid Disk Block

Deletes a partition from Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for deleting a partition from Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part del

Example of delete partition number 1 from Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part del 4gb.vhd 1

Export partition from Rigid Disk Block

Exports a partition from Rigid Disk Block to a hard file .hdf.

Example of displaying usage for exporting a partition from Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part export

Example of exporting partition number 1 to dh0.hdf hard file from Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part export 4gb.vhd 1 dh0.hdf

Format partition in Rigid Disk Block

Formats a partition in Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for formatting a partition in Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part format

Example of formatting partition number 1 with volume name "Workbench" in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part format 4gb.vhd 1 Workbench

Import partition to Rigid Disk Block

Imports a partition to Rigid Disk Block from a hard file .hdf.

Imported partition will use heads and sectors as defined in the Rigid Disk Block. If the imported partition uses different heads or sectors, the contents of partition will not work properly.

Example of displaying usage for importing a partition to Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part import

Example of importing partition from dh0.hdf hard file with dos type PDS3 and device name DH0 to Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part import dh0.hdf 4gb.vhd PDS3 DH0

Kill partition in Rigid Disk Block

Kills and restores a partition in Rigid Disk Block. Inspired by killpart from Thomas Rapp on EAB forum http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=69128.

A killed partition will appear as unformatted in Amiga OS.

When killing a partition, current boot bytes are displaying, which can be used to restore partition.

Example of displaying usage for killing a partition in Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part kill

Example of killing partition number 1 with boot bytes hex values 00000000 in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part kill 4gb.vhd 1 00000000

Example of restoring partition number 1 with PFS3 boot bytes hex values 50465301 in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part kill 4gb.vhd 1 50465301

Update partition in Rigid Disk Block

Updates a partition in Rigid Disk Block.

Example of displaying usage for updating a partition in Rigid Disk Block:

hst.imager rdb part update

Example of updating partition number 1 setting it bootable in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part update 4gb.vhd 1 --bootable true

Example of updating partition number 1 setting max transfer to 130560 in Rigid Disk Block on a 4GB vhd image file:

hst.imager rdb part update 4gb.vhd 1 --max-transfer 130560