Please show me how you cp a raw device without the concept of files. I’d love to learn.
$ cp /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/my-special-backup
?
$ cp /dev/nvme0n1p1 /mnt/my-special-backup
?
ddrescue can do the same, but will handle errors better
e2image understands ext2/3/4 filesystems and can copy only the blocks in use, which can really help (though don't know how it works if it encounters an error)
cp's default behaviour for device files also happens to be very stupid.
I think that feature relies in the concept of a device file, which is a direct reflection of the UNIX trait of everything being a file.