How to check the progress of dd command in Linux

The dd command in Linux is often used for tasks like copying data or writing to block devices. However, it does not provide progress updates by default. This can make it hard to know if the command is still running, especially when handling large files or disks.

There are multiple ways to monitor the progress of the dd command. One method is by adding the status=progress argument to dd, which is available in newer versions of GNU coreutils. For other systems, sending a USR1 signal to the running dd process provides an alternative solution. Both methods allow you to see real-time data without affecting the operation.

Additionally, you can use external tools like progress. This utility can display progress information for a variety of operations, including dd, as well as commands like cp and tar. These tools enhance visibility and control over long-running processes in Linux.

1. Run the dd command with the status=progress option to see real-time updates.

   $ sudo dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/null status=progress
   2755155968 bytes (2.8 GB, 2.6 GiB) copied, 5 s, 551 MB/s

   This option is available in GNU coreutils. It provides real-time updates without stopping the process.

2. Send a USR1 signal to the running dd process to view progress information.

   $ kill -USR1 $(pgrep ^dd)

   This command sends a signal to the active dd process, triggering it to display progress in the terminal where it was started.

3. Install and use the progress tool to monitor dd and other Linux utilities.

   $ sudo apt install --assume-yes progress #Debian and Ubuntu
   $ progress -m

   The progress tool provides a summary of all running core utility processes like dd, cp, and tar, showing real-time progress.

4. Use system monitoring tools to check disk activity and verify ongoing operations.

   $ iostat -dx 1

   Tools like iostat provide real-time disk I/O statistics that help monitor the data transfer activity of dd and other disk-intensive processes.