Using the DD command

Thank you, Peter, for reinforcing my own point, posted earlier:

Doing as I suggested, you don’t inadvertently “compete” with built-in auto-directives for disk handling.



Full disclosure, my own fstab:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda3 during installation
# /dev/sda3    ext4     DB001_F1   5dcf1a96-fa2e-42f5-9a08-37fcce0f0878   195.3G        / 	  INTERNAL
UUID=5dcf1a96-fa2e-42f5-9a08-37fcce0f0878	/	ext4	defaults,nofail,errors=remount-ro,journal_checksum	0	1

#
###############################################################################################################
#
###FOREIGN-REF### /dev/sda6 /home ext3 noatime,nodiratime,relatime,errors=remount-ro 0 2
# /dev/sda7    ext4     DB001_F2   7e9a663e-ff1d-4730-8544-c37519056b6f   293G          /DB001_F2 INTERNAL
#UUID=7e9a663e-ff1d-4730-8544-c37519056b6f 	/DB001_F2 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	1
UUID=7e9a663e-ff1d-4730-8544-c37519056b6f 	/DB001_F2 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	1

# /dev/sda8    ext4     DB001_F3   4f7d4192-b136-4a94-b06b-736f76155816   293G          /DB001_F3 INTERNAL
#UUID=4f7d4192-b136-4a94-b06b-736f76155816 	/DB001_F3 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=4f7d4192-b136-4a94-b06b-736f76155816 	/DB001_F3 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

# /dev/sda9    ext4     DB001_F4   7f37ffd4-779a-46c6-b440-f384fb75eb98   293G          /DB001_F4 INTERNAL
#UUID=7f37ffd4-779a-46c6-b440-f384fb75eb98 	/DB001_F4 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=7f37ffd4-779a-46c6-b440-f384fb75eb98 	/DB001_F4 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

# /dev/sda12   ext4     DB001_F5   14e15125-6c47-499e-b1a9-734a0f928b5e   195.3G        /DB001_F5 INTERNAL
#UUID=14e15125-6c47-499e-b1a9-734a0f928b5e 	/DB001_F5	ext4	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=14e15125-6c47-499e-b1a9-734a0f928b5e 	/DB001_F5	ext4	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

# /dev/sda13   ext4     DB001_F6   0d416936-e091-49a7-9133-b8137d327ce0   195.3G        /DB001_F6 INTERNAL
#UUID=0d416936-e091-49a7-9133-b8137d327ce0 	/DB001_F6 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=0d416936-e091-49a7-9133-b8137d327ce0 	/DB001_F6	ext4	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

# /dev/sda14   ext4     DB001_F7   c2ff9e15-b50e-4c56-9c03-918bf81e0ab5   293G          /DB001_F7 INTERNAL
#UUID=c2ff9e15-b50e-4c56-9c03-918bf81e0ab5	/DB001_F7 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=c2ff9e15-b50e-4c56-9c03-918bf81e0ab5	/DB001_F7 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

# /dev/sda4    ext4     DB001_F8   46fcb33d-5f0d-423b-b6a7-512c58c76aba   93.6G         /DB001_F8 INTERNAL
#UUID=46fcb33d-5f0d-423b-b6a7-512c58c76aba 	/DB001_F8 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto,data=journal,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,block_validity,nodelalloc,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	0
UUID=46fcb33d-5f0d-423b-b6a7-512c58c76aba 	/DB001_F8 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard	0	2

#
###############################################################################################################
#	ROOT DEVICE

# NOT VERY BENEFICIAL -- Too large
# /swapfile    swap     DB001_S1   UUID=5dcf1a96-fa2e-42f5-9a08-37fcce0f0878,offset=?????????  6G   [SWAP] INTERNAL
# /swapfile					none		swap	sw,pri=1		0	0
# /swapfile	-->>  resume=UUID=5dcf1a96-fa2e-42f5-9a08-37fcce0f0878 resume_offset=37326848

# /dev/sda2    swap     DB001_S1   UUID=266efd3e-f04d-4ea3-89e6-45e6ac227fa1	1G		[SWAP] INTERNAL
UUID=266efd3e-f04d-4ea3-89e6-45e6ac227fa1 	none 		swap 	sw,pri=99	 	0 	0

# /dev/sda10   swap     DB001_S2   UUID=3b9a2c7a-67d4-4de7-ae66-214937dc47f4	996.2M		[SWAP] INTERNAL
UUID=3b9a2c7a-67d4-4de7-ae66-214937dc47f4 	none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=30 	0 	0

# /dev/sda11   swap     DB001_S3   UUID=78b04c8c-8ace-4b46-817d-7059aa1668b7	996.2M		[SWAP] INTERNAL
UUID=78b04c8c-8ace-4b46-817d-7059aa1668b7 	none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=20	0 	0

# /dev/sda5    swap     HIBERNATE  UUID=d6818877-fcce-4e10-b45c-17d5bf4670b8	6G		[SWAP] INTERNAL
UUID=d6818877-fcce-4e10-b45c-17d5bf4670b8       none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=1		0 	0

#
###############################################################################################################
#	SECONDARY DEVICE (DEFUNCT - Ubuntu Desktop a.k.a. GNOME)
#
# /dev/sdc2    ext4     DB004_F1   88fcdce7-c227-4812-b4e6-bcc771ee3809   459.8G        /site/DB004_F1 INTERNAL
#UUID=88fcdce7-c227-4812-b4e6-bcc771ee3809	/site/DB004_F1 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto 	0 	2


#
###############################################################################################################
#	SECONDARY DEVICE (Ubuntu Server + LightDM + MATE + curated list of Application packages
#
# /dev/sdc2    ext4     DB007_F1   06ea0ae0-47d5-43a6-92c6-d54fa5d4b4b3	  459.8G	/site/DB007_F1	INTERNAL
UUID=06ea0ae0-47d5-43a6-92c6-d54fa5d4b4b3	/site/DB007_F1 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,noauto 	0 	2

#
###############################################################################################################
#	EXTERNAL DEVICE
#

# /dev/sdc3    ext4     DB005_F1   11c8fbcc-c1e1-424d-9ffe-ad0ccf480128   100G          /site/DB005_F1 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=11c8fbcc-c1e1-424d-9ffe-ad0ccf480128 	/site/DB005_F1 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0


# /dev/sdc4    ext4     DB005_F2   a48c6161-986f-4fd9-b127-7d070d86d68f   300G          /site/DB005_F2 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=a48c6161-986f-4fd9-b127-7d070d86d68f 	/site/DB005_F2 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc5    ext4     DB005_F3   965ad4c7-2f2c-4d8d-8790-0ffb8e18dd1b   300G          /site/DB005_F3 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=965ad4c7-2f2c-4d8d-8790-0ffb8e18dd1b 	/site/DB005_F3 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc6    ext4     DB005_F4   62026971-3ab4-48c9-bc5b-2b40aa3cc70a   300G          /site/DB005_F4 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=62026971-3ab4-48c9-bc5b-2b40aa3cc70a 	/site/DB005_F4 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc7    ext4     DB005_F5   c76adc01-99d2-42f9-acba-d0678ee87e8f   200G          /site/DB005_F5 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=c76adc01-99d2-42f9-acba-d0678ee87e8f 	/site/DB005_F5 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc8    ext4     DB005_F6   4feee7f0-b285-40dc-88de-aafc61433b21   200G          /site/DB005_F6 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=4feee7f0-b285-40dc-88de-aafc61433b21 	/site/DB005_F6 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc9    ext4     DB005_F7   0267ec5e-e71b-4eac-b1fa-ec1d92b10400   300G          /site/DB005_F7 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=0267ec5e-e71b-4eac-b1fa-ec1d92b10400 	/site/DB005_F7 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc10   ext4     DB005_F8   5b1980b2-df9a-47c6-bedb-df140fbbe8f0   100G          /site/DB005_F8 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=5b1980b2-df9a-47c6-bedb-df140fbbe8f0 	/site/DB005_F8 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc2    swap     DB005_S1   a668c722-b4db-4d4a-a91b-a01b4faa0fc6   4G            [SWAP] USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=a668c722-b4db-4d4a-a91b-a01b4faa0fc6 	none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=3 	0 	0

#==============================================================================================================================

# /dev/sdc11   ext4     DB006_F1   d827a05e-e151-4ce9-8be4-6f8515a71eab   100G          /site/DB006_F1 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=d827a05e-e151-4ce9-8be4-6f8515a71eab 	/site/DB006_F1 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc12   ext4     DB006_F2   ef36596a-8566-4a03-8015-2d4f6f8ec7a0   300G          /site/DB006_F2 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=ef36596a-8566-4a03-8015-2d4f6f8ec7a0 	/site/DB006_F2 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc13   ext4     DB006_F3   7e9d1316-f988-458d-bd6a-caa8f0ae861a   300G          /site/DB006_F3 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=7e9d1316-f988-458d-bd6a-caa8f0ae861a 	/site/DB006_F3 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc14   ext4     DB006_F4   14b29e8c-2955-496e-84ca-2f2ef002c070   300G          /site/DB006_F4 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=14b29e8c-2955-496e-84ca-2f2ef002c070 	/site/DB006_F4 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc15   ext4     DB006_F5   965e626b-5f45-48b4-b296-efd964307067   200G          /site/DB006_F5 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=965e626b-5f45-48b4-b296-efd964307067 	/site/DB006_F5 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc16   ext4     DB006_F6   04fb8fc0-df53-4767-848f-4fbe9d03d79a   200G          /site/DB006_F6 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=04fb8fc0-df53-4767-848f-4fbe9d03d79a 	/site/DB006_F6 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc17   ext4     DB006_F7   a5f6f5c2-1588-4a8d-b135-9d29f8ae7436   300G          /site/DB006_F7 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=a5f6f5c2-1588-4a8d-b135-9d29f8ae7436 	/site/DB006_F7 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

# /dev/sdc18   ext4     DB006_F8   9ed33f4b-76e0-4bab-bf8d-0be444febd17   222G          /site/DB006_F8 USB_EXTERNAL
UUID=9ed33f4b-76e0-4bab-bf8d-0be444febd17 	/site/DB006_F8 	ext4 	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

#==============================================================================================================================

## /dev/sdd1 on /media/ericthered/VERB_R_F1 type vfat 
## (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,flush,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2)
## rw,relatime,fmask=0000,dmask=0000,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2
#
# /dev/sdc1    vfat     null       D4FB-FBCF                              28.9G         /media/ericthered/VERB_R_F1 USB_EXTERNAL
#UUID=29BF-35A0 		/media/ericthered/VERB_R_F1 	vfat 	rw,relatime,codepage=347,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2,nofail,noauto 	0 	0
UUID=29BF-35A0 		/media/ericthered/VERB_R_F1 	vfat 	user,owner,utf8,rw,suid,dev,umask=000,relatime,codepage=347,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2,nofail,noauto 	0 	0


###
## /dev/sdd1 on /media/ericthered/KINGSTON1 type vfat 
## (ro,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,flush,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2)

UUID=5932-FD87	/site/KINGSTON	vfat	rw,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,fmask=0022,dmask=0022,codepage=437,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,flush,noauto	0	0


###
#UUID=C0E29556E2955210	/site/MyPassport	ntfs	rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_id=1000,group_id=1000,default_permissions,blksize=4096,uhelper=udisks2	0	0
#UUID=C0E29556E2955210	/site/MyPassport	ntfs	rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,umask=007,blksize=4096,uhelper=udisks2	0	0

UUID=7CB8-B781 		/media/ericthered/SLIP_USB 	vfat 	user,owner,utf8,rw,suid,dev,umask=000,relatime,codepage=347,iocharset=iso8859-1,shortname=mixed,showexec,utf8,errors=remount-ro,uhelper=udisks2,nofail,noauto 	0 	0



###
###	TEST ENTRIES
###
UUID=71db8ca8-2ca4-4926-925d-3c378ebe8f1d	none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=3 	0 	0

UUID=cb8c2a02-a871-46d9-b455-1095d8435c99	none 		swap 	sw,noauto,pri=3 	0 	0

UUID=ae44c502-de89-41c7-bf9e-7b58611d40c3	/site/boot	ext4	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

UUID=2af8b0d6-3788-4dd8-95c2-e7399529091c	/site/DB008_F1	ext4	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0

UUID=d835a150-ffb7-44c7-b2ed-a8dbc0d04599	/site/DB008_F2	ext4	defaults,nofail,journal_checksum,journal_async_commit,commit=15,errors=remount-ro,journal_ioprio=2,data_err=ignore,nodiscard,noauto	0	0