DataRecovery

A GTK4/Libadwaita application for data recovery using ddrescue and PhotoRec. Recovers all files (not just deleted ones) from storage devices or disk images, organises them by file type, and optionally removes duplicates using rdfind.

Important: Requires significant disk space as images are created first, then files recovered from those images.

---

🔄 Process

1. Source Selection: Choose a storage device or existing disk image file
2. Destination Selection: Choose where recovered files will be saved
3. Mount Safety: Automatically detects and handles mounted partitions to prevent corruption
4. Imaging (devices only): Creates disk images using 4 passes of ddrescue (details below)
5. File Recovery: PhotoRec recovers files from the disk images
6. File Organization: Recovered files sorted by extension into organized folders

User Options

• Save Images
• Remove Duplicates
• Keep Corrupted Files
• Selective File Type Recovery
• Custom Signature Support
• SMART Data Monitoring

ddrescue 4-Pass Details

1. Pass 1 - Fast Copy: Quick sequential read without retries to capture easily readable data
2. Pass 2 - Direct Access Retry: Up to 3 retry attempts using direct I/O to bypass system caching
3. Pass 3 - Reverse Retry: Read failed sectors in reverse order to minimise mechanical stress
4. Pass 4 - Final Scraping: Final attempt with scraping mode for stubborn sectors

---

📦 Installation

Packages

openSUSE

• Tumbleweed

  sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security:forensics/openSUSE_Tumbleweed/security:forensics.repo
  sudo zypper refresh
  sudo zypper install datarecovery

• Leap 16

  sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security:forensics/16.0/security:forensics.repo
  sudo zypper refresh
  sudo zypper install datarecovery

• Leap 15.6

  sudo zypper addrepo https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/security:forensics/15.6/security:forensics.repo
  sudo zypper refresh
  sudo zypper install datarecovery

  View on OBS

Fedora

• Fedora 42, Fedora 43

  sudo dnf copr enable koxt2/datarecovery
  sudo dnf install datarecovery

  View on Copr

Debian

• Debian 13 (Trixie)

  echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/koxt2:/datarecovery:/deb/Debian_13/ /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:koxt2:datarecovery:deb.list
  curl -fsSL https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:koxt2:datarecovery:deb/Debian_13/Release.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/home_koxt2_datarecovery_deb.gpg > /dev/null
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install datarecovery

• Debian 12 (Bookworm)

  echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/koxt2:/datarecovery:/deb/Debian_12/ /' | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:koxt2:datarecovery:deb.list
  curl -fsSL https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:koxt2:datarecovery:deb/Debian_12/Release.key | gpg --dearmor | sudo tee /etc/apt/trusted.gpg.d/home_koxt2_datarecovery_deb.gpg > /dev/null
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install datarecovery

  View on OBS

Ubuntu

• Ubuntu 24.04 LTS (Noble), 25.10 (Questing)

  sudo add-apt-repository ppa:koxt2/datarecovery
  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install datarecovery

  View on Launchpad

Arch Linux

• Install from AUR:

  yay -S datarecovery
  # or
  paru -S datarecovery

  View on AUR

From Source (meson)

Dependencies:

openSUSE Tumbleweed

sudo zypper install git meson ninja glib2-devel python3-gobject desktop-file-utils gnu_ddrescue testdisk rdfind udisks2 polkit

Fedora

sudo dnf install git meson ninja-build glib2-devel python3-gobject desktop-file-utils ddrescue testdisk rdfind udisks2 polkit

Ubuntu/Debian

sudo apt install git meson ninja-build libglib2.0-dev python3-gi python3-gi-cairo gir1.2-gtk-4.0 gir1.2-adw-1 desktop-file-utils gddrescue testdisk rdfind udisks2 polkitd

Arch

sudo pacman -S git meson ninja gtk4 libadwaita glib2 python-gobject desktop-file-utils ddrescue testdisk rdfind udisks2 polkit

Build and Install:

git clone https://github.com/koxt2/datarecovery.git
cd datarecovery
meson setup builddir
meson compile -C builddir
sudo mkdir -p /usr/local/share/glib-2.0/schemas
sudo meson install -C builddir

Uninstall:

sudo ninja -C builddir uninstall

---

🙏 Credits

Application Icon - Derived from icons in the Adwaita icon theme, licensed under LGPL-3.0-or-later / CC-BY-SA-3.0 (link)

GTK4/Libadwaita - Modern Linux desktop integration (link)

UDisks2 - Reliable device management interface (link)

GNU ddrescue - Core imaging technology (link)

PhotoRec/TestDisk - File recovery capabilities (link)

rdfind - Duplicate file detection and removal (link)

---

📄 License

GPL-2.0-or-later - See LICENSE file for full license text.