Feature request: Interface that allows generic raw partition access

[Lin-Buo-Ren]

There is the block-devices interface, but it doesn’t cover disk partition nodes.

There is the raw-volume interface, but it only functions on gadget snaps instead of the core snap (only usable on Ubuntu Core systems).

Some applications require access to raw partitions for:

• Initialize a file system (mkfs.*)
• Install a volume boot record(VBR) for certain file systems (FAT/NTFS/…)
• Encrypt a file system (Veracrypt/…)
• Create/restore disk image (dd)
• Create block level or filesystem level backups (Fsarchiver/CloneZilla)

Please implement/extend an interface so that one can use it for raw partition access, thanks!

Reference

Interface connection request for the ms-sys snap

Dear @reviewers, I would like to request the following interface connections for https://snapcraft.io/ms-sys according to the process for aliases, auto-connections and tracks. Interface Name Reasoning block-devices This is a utility to write Master Boot Record(MBR) to a disk, such access is essential to its major functions raw-volume This is a utility to write Volume Boot Record(VBR) to a partition, such access is essential to its major functions The snap is currently set for build…

[ogra]

here is some example magic that utilizes a combo of the udisks2 and block-devices interfaces for disk manipulation:

slimjim777/disk-util

i believe a lot of the above requested bits can be done through the udisks interface …

[Lin-Buo-Ren]

That is indeed inspiring, however, it doesn’t cover existing applications that make use of traditional access.