how to write a iso to a flash-drive correctly - the steps to go!?

[dhubs]

Dear Community - hello to all of you,

first of all: i hope youre all right and everything goes well at your site.

currently muse bout the question how to correct write a iso to a flash-drive

here the steps to go!? - are they correct!?

sudo fdisk -l # (usb-CHECK at the very beginning. )
umount /dev/sdb1* # (first of all we need the  USB-Stick unmoute, in order to start afterwards)
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1 # formate the  Stick .. and then we go to the   dd - command ...
sudo dd bs=4M if=~/Downloads/_mein_linux.iso of=/dev/xyz status=progress oflag=sync

with the following set of steps - see some of the added comments - i hope that i can learn trough that.


step 1:

if=/path/to/your.iso: #Path to the ISO-file, where we want to write .

step 2

of=/dev/sdX: # the name of the device that is the flash sticks (not the Partition, for example like so: /dev/sdb).

step 3:

bs=4M: #sets the size of the blocks in our example 4 Megabyte (other values possible too)

step 4

status=progress: # this shows the progress

and subsequently:

oflag=sync: #takes care that the data were written to the flash-drive before  dd ends.

well dear mates - i hope that you have a closer look - can i do like so!?

look forward to hear from you

regards


ps. keep up the awesome forum - it rocks!!

[Demanding Truth]

I want to copy my existing OS.. I get stuck having to load a fresh download ISO to the flash-drive.. I don't want a new download ISO, I want my customized OS in the flash-drive to be the installer ISO.. I very much need to learn this too.. I want to take my OS from a customized 'Linux Mint Mate 20' notebook, and make an installation flash-drive of it.. Then a new installation will take probably take only half an hour, I suppose, after I've formatted the hard drive.. Then it doesn't matter if the gagagoogoo hacker hell-kookoo's damage the OS.. I'll just leave the install CD in the slot, and be ready for their infantile anunnaki meddling and bullying by removing the latest new pix and notes from the hard drive, format the hard drive with a utility notebook, stick in the install flash-drive, and click the little box: "Do it now hun"...

OK: So I have a 100 spare free notebooks, 100 hard spare free drives, and a couple handfuls of flash drives.. Now what..? Ummmm..? Do I dance around the room singing silly east coast fishing shanty ditties, and praying something good will happen whilst hitting my back with a board with nails in it..?
Oyish! I have tried and tried and tried to figure this out over the decades, but got only wasted time, thhht, and heated frustration...

OK, So I cleanup and customize this notebook's Linux Mint OS to perfection, then slip a flash-drive into the slot.. Ummmm, then what..? 'Wiggle my bum in the mirror'..? How do you do it..? What's the big secret mearakle..?

[dhubs]

hi there dear Demanding Truth,


note: have to leave the house - and catch the train - but i will answre more thoroughly at the weekend.

Many thanks for your great support. ITs so great to be here - in this great place.

Untill soon

[michaelk]

There are a few applications that make writing an ISO file to flash drive almost failure proof like belenaetcher I prefer using the dd command but I have lots of experience. If you are not extra careful and I have read many sad stories where someone has accidentally overwritten the wrong drive.

In most cases there is no need to format the drive prior to using the dd command. The dd command overwrites the existing filesystem metadata and therefore does nothing.
Yes the drive needs to be unmounted and you can also verify the correct device using the lsblk command instead of fdisk.

The basic syntax of your posted dd command looks correct.

[dhubs]

dear Michael, dear DemandingTruth


first of all -- many thanks for the support and for your replies. I am glad - i am really glad to be part of your forum.

well i want to create a iso on a usb-stick that is on

a. sdb or
b. sdb1

the question is - how to name it in the dd-command?! see more here..

Ger?t      Boot Anfang     Ende Sektoren Gr??e Kn Typ
/dev/sdb1  *        64 60620799 60620736 28,9G  c W95 FAT32 (LBA)
ubuntu@T420s:~$ lsblk
NAME            MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
loop0             7:0    0     4K  1 loop /snap/bare/5
loop1             7:1    0  55,4M  1 loop /snap/core18/2846
loop2             7:2    0  55,4M  1 loop /snap/core18/2855
loop3             7:3    0  63,7M  1 loop /snap/core20/2496
loop4             7:4    0  63,7M  1 loop /snap/core20/2434
loop5             7:5    0  73,9M  1 loop /snap/core22/1748
loop6             7:6    0  73,9M  1 loop /snap/core22/1722
loop7             7:7    0  93,6M  1 loop /snap/featherpad/1070
loop8             7:8    0 257,9M  1 loop /snap/firefox/5783
loop9             7:9    0 349,7M  1 loop /snap/gnome-3-38-2004/143
loop10            7:10   0 257,8M  1 loop /snap/firefox/5836
loop11            7:11   0 505,1M  1 loop /snap/gnome-42-2204/176
loop12            7:12   0   516M  1 loop /snap/gnome-42-2204/202
loop13            7:13   0  91,7M  1 loop /snap/gtk-common-themes/1535
loop14            7:14   0 752,9M  1 loop /snap/pycharm-community/439
loop15            7:15   0 822,3M  1 loop /snap/pycharm-community/457
loop16            7:16   0  12,9M  1 loop /snap/snap-store/1113
loop17            7:17   0  12,2M  1 loop /snap/snap-store/1216
loop18            7:18   0  44,4M  1 loop /snap/snapd/23545
loop19            7:19   0   568K  1 loop /snap/snapd-desktop-integration/253
loop20            7:20   0 321,1M  1 loop /snap/vlc/3721
loop21            7:21   0   500K  1 loop /snap/snapd-desktop-integration/178
loop22            7:22   0  44,4M  1 loop /snap/snapd/23771
loop23            7:23   0 116,8M  1 loop /snap/zotero-snap/104
loop24            7:24   0 321,1M  1 loop /snap/vlc/3777
loop25            7:25   0 116,7M  1 loop /snap/zotero-snap/98
sda               8:0    0 119,2G  0 disk 
├─sda1            8:1    0     1G  0 part /boot/efi
├─sda2            8:2    0     2G  0 part /boot
└─sda3            8:3    0 116,2G  0 part 
  └─ubuntu--vg-ubuntu--lv
                253:0    0 116,2G  0 lvm  /var/snap/firefox/common/host-hunspell
                                          /
sdb               8:16   1  28,9G  0 disk 
└─sdb1            8:17   1  28,9G  0 part /media/ubuntu/71BE-0530
sr0              11:0    1  1024M  0 rom

well if iwant to write a iso to the usb-stick should i do it like so:

ubuntu@T420s:~$ sudo dd bs=4M if=~/Videos/eos2.iso of=/dev/sdb status=progress oflag=sync

well the question is: should i name the target sdb or sdb1 ?

subsequently : is this a good command

ubuntu@T420s:~$ sudo dd bs=4M if=~/Videos/eos2.iso of=/dev/sdb status=progress oflag=sync

for creating the iso on a usb?

well the question is should i use sdb when, it looks like, i should be using sdb1.

in other words should i try this:

sudo rsync -av --progress /home/ubuntu/Dokumente/ /media/ubuntu/sdb1

or

ubuntu@T420s:~$ sudo dd bs=4M if=~/Videos/eos2.iso of=/dev/sdb1 status=progress oflag=sync

dear Michael, dear Demanding Truth,

i look forward to hear from you

gretings

update:


if we have with

lsblk

sda               8:0    0 119,2G  0 disk 
├─sda1            8:1    0     1G  0 part /boot/efi
├─sda2            8:2    0     2G  0 part /boot
└─sda3            8:3    0 116,2G  0 part 
  └─ubuntu--vg-ubuntu--lv
                253:0    0 116,2G  0 lvm  /var/snap/firefox/common/host-hunspell
                                          /
sdb               8:16   1  28,9G  0 disk 
└─sdb1            8:17   1  28,9G  0 part /media/ubuntu/71BE-0530
sr0              11:0    1  1024M  0 rom

my command could be so

sudo dd bs=4M if=/Videos/eos2.iso of=/dev/sdb1 status=progress oflag=sync

which leads to

                                                    /
sdb                         8:16   1  28,9G  0 disk 
└─sdb1                      8:17   1  28,9G  0 part /media/ubuntu/EOS_202502
sr0                        11:0    1  1024M  0 rom  
ubuntu@T420s:~$

regarding the sdb and the sdb1

but i guess that if i use sdb it will overwrite the device; ie. the input & all data (inc. metadata) will be written to the new device; so if the source [ISO] was bootable; the sdb device will also be bootable. If we write to a partition (sdb1) then we 'll have a copy there; but any metadata won't exist & even if source was bootable (metadata is hidden inside partition); the copy on sdb1 will NOT be bootable unless we create/have boot code that will perform those functions. conclusio: well i think that both commands would be probably correct ( bunt in some ways just different!); well finally - it'll depend what we trying to achieve as to which will suit our needs

i now will do some tests - what fits best as a iso stick...



have a nice evening.

[michaelk]

You write the ISO to /dev/sdb not /dev/sdb1

[dhubs]

hello dear Michael

thanks alot for the quick reply

You write the ISO to /dev/sdb not /dev/sdb1

thank you - i will do as adviced.

have a great day..

update: by the way: now all works well - the created iso-file works very well. see this image

greetings_____img_4__.jpg

dear Michael - many many thanks for all you did - i am so happy.
also many thanks to demanding truth - i am lovin this awesome suppotforum!!!

have a great day.

greetings