Data Recovery on Linux Using ldmtool

Contents

Data Recovery

Introduction

Data recovery can be a lifesaver, especially when dealing with Logical Disk Manager (LDM) volumes. Using ldmtool a utility designed for managing Windows LDM partitions on Linux, we can mount and access these volumes easily.

In this guide, we will explore the use of ldmtool to scan and mount LDM volumes, as well as steps using GParted to format additional disks. We also cover ldmtool installation across different Linux distributions including Arch Linux, Debian, and Red Hat.

Step 1: Installing ldmtool

ldmtool can be installed using various methods depending on your Linux distribution:

sudo pacman -S ldmtool        # Arch Linux
sudo apt install ldmtool      # Debian-based (Ubuntu, Pop!_OS, etc.)
sudo yum install ldmtool      # Red Hat based (Fedora, CentOS, etc.)

Step 2: Launching and Scanning the LDM Volumes

Once installed, launch ldmtool and scan for LDM volumes:

sudo ldmtool scan
sudo ldmtool create all

Step 3: Listing Volume Mappings

After the scan, list the created device mappings. If correctly executed you should see entries similar to /dev/mapper/ldm_vol___Volume1:

ls -l /dev/mapper

Alternatively, use lsblk to list all block devices and partitions:

lsblk

Step 4: Mounting The Volume

Create a mount directory and mount the recovered volume using NTFS as the filesystem type. Replace __Volume1 with the output from ls -l /dev/mapper:

sudo mkdir /mnt/ldm_volume
sudo mount -t ntfs /dev/mapper/ldm_vol___Volume1 /mnt/ldm_volume

Step 5: Preparing the Next Hard Disk with GParted

GParted offers a visual interface for disk formatting, making it user-friendly.

Installing GParted:

sudo pacman -S gparted        # Arch Linux
sudo apt install gparted      # Debian-based
sudo yum install gparted      # Red Hat based

Opening GParted:

sudo -E gparted

Selecting and formatting the disk:

  • Use lsblk to identify the correct block device.
  • In GParted, select the desired disk and format it to NTFS as needed.

Step 6: Mounting Another Hard Disk

# Create a mount directory
sudo mkdir /mnt/files

# Mount the hard disk (assuming /dev/sdb1 is your hard disk)
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/files

Step 7: Verifying Data Recovery with File Manager

Open your preferred file explorer and navigate to:

  • /mnt/ldm_volume — for the recovered LDM volume
  • /mnt/files — for the additional mounted hard disk

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can efficiently recover and access data from LDM volumes on Linux. With ldmtool for mounting and GParted for formatting, this guide provides a versatile approach to handling complex disk structures on a Linux system.

References