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Creating a bootable Linux OS drive involves creating a bootable installation media (such as a USB flash drive) from the Linux distribution's ISO file. The process can vary slightly depending on your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux). Here are the general steps:
1. Download the Linux Distribution: First, download the ISO file of the Linux distribution you want to install. Visit the official website of the Linux distribution and find the download section. Choose the appropriate ISO file for your system architecture (usually 64-bit).
2. Choose a Bootable USB Creation Tool: There are several tools available to create a bootable USB drive. Some popular ones include:
3. Create the Bootable USB Drive: The steps for creating the bootable USB drive differ depending on the tool you choose:
Using Rufus (Windows):
Using Etcher (Windows, macOS, Linux):
Using dd (Linux/macOS):
diskutil list # macOS fdisk -l # Linux
diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX # macOS umount /dev/sdX # Linux
sudo dd bs=4M if=path/to/linux.iso of=/dev/diskX conv=sync # macOS sudo dd bs=4M if=path/to/linux.iso of=/dev/sdX conv=sync # Linux
4. Boot from the USB Drive: After creating the bootable USB drive, restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. The method to do this varies based on your computer's manufacturer and model. Usually, you can access the boot menu by pressing a specific key (such as F12, F10, Esc, or Del) during the boot process. Select the USB drive from the boot menu to start the Linux OS installation or live session.
Remember that creating a bootable USB drive will erase all data on the USB drive, so ensure that you have backed up any important files before proceeding. Additionally, be careful to select the correct USB drive to avoid accidental data loss.
Download ISO (ISO is a special file format that represents the content of a small storage device)
dd (and its derivatives) is a command line tool integrated in every UNIX and UNIX-like system, and it can be used to write the ISO file into a block device bit per bit.
Due to the potential to brick your system, if you are not familiar with Linux we strongly recommend to use Etcher (https://www.balena.io/etcher/.