Version 12.04 (Precise Pangolin) of the very best Free-Libre Open-Source data recovery software toolkit based on Ubuntu is out.

Ubuntu-Rescue-Remix provides a robust yet lean system for data recovery and forensics. No graphical interface is used; the live system can boot and function normally on machines with very little memory or processor power. Following Ubuntu’s six-month release schedule, all the software is up-to-date, stable and supported.

Ubuntu-Rescue-Remix features a full command-line environment with the newest versions of the most powerful free/libre open-source data recovery software including GNU ddrescue, Photorec, The Sleuth Kit, Gnu-fdisk and Clamav.

This release features ddrutility, a new tool written by Scott Dwyer to identify files affected by unrecoverable blocks on a disk image.

Download the Rescue-Remix here:

Rescue Remix 12-04 Precise Pangolin download
MD5Sum: 6c6b318d96af20b61fb89fd0ddb1d5c8 ubuntu-rescue-remix-12-04.iso

See this link for details about how to burn the ISO image to make a bootable cd.

This iso image is also compatible with the excellent USB Startup Disk Creator that is included with Ubuntu since 9.04 (System – Administration – USB Startup Disk Creator). Use it to put the Rescue Remix along with a persistent home on any USB flash drive. See this page.

PendriveLinux also provides an excellent way for Windows users to put Ubuntu-Rescue-Remix on a stick.

*** Metapackage ***

Would you prefer to work with a full graphical interface?

A metapackage is available which will install the data recovery and forensics toolkit onto your current Ubuntu Desktop system. There are no graphical interfaces to the data recovery tools, but if you prefer working from a graphical desktop instead of a virtual console, this is the option for you.

The toolkit can also be installed on a live USB Ubuntu Desktop with persistent data. To do so boot into your USB system and add the following archive to your software channels:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:arzajac/ppa
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:scott-dwyer/ddrutility

Then, install the “ubuntu-rescue-remix-tools” package.

*** Help and Development ***

For help on recovering your lost data, visit the community documentation Data Recovery page, or ask on the ubuntu-rescue-remix forums.

If you want to expand the Rescue Remix’s capabilities and features, please join in its development. Any and all help is welcome!

-Andrew