How to Create a Bootable USB from an ISO File on a Mac

Are you looking for a way to create a bootable USB drive from an ISO file without any third-party apps? Look no further! In this article, we'll show you how to use the dd command to create a bootable USB from an ISO file on your Mac.

Before You Start

Before we dive into the process, make sure you have the following:

* An administrator account on your Mac

* A USB drive with at least 2GB of free space

* The ISO file you want to use to create the bootable USB

Creating a Bootable USB from an ISO File

To create a bootable USB from an ISO file, follow these steps:

1. Unmount the disk: Use the `umount` command to unmount all volumes on your USB drive. For our purposes, we'll assume that our flash drive is labeled as 'disk2.'

```

sudo umount /dev/disk2

```

2. Create a disk image: Use the `dd` command to create a disk image from the ISO file. This will overwrite any existing data on your USB drive.

```

sudo dd if=/path/to/iso.iso of=/dev/rdisk2 bs=2048

```

Replace `/path/to/iso.iso` with the actual path to your ISO file and `/dev/rdisk2` with the path to your USB drive.

3. Verify the image: Use the `fsck` command to verify that the image was created correctly.

```

sudo fsck -fy /dev/rdisk2

```

4. Eject the USB drive: Finally, eject the USB drive using the `umount` command again.

```

sudo umount /dev/disk2

```

Understanding the dd Command

The `dd` command is a powerful tool for creating low-level file copies. It's often used to create bootable disks from ISO files or to clone hard drives. Here are some common options you can use with the `dd` command:

* `-conv`: This option tells `dd` to continue copying even if there are read errors.

* `-count`: This option specifies the number of blocks to copy. By default, `dd` copies the entire file or disk.

* `-bs`: This option specifies the block size, which can be measured in bytes, kilobytes (k), megabytes (m), or other units.

Creating a bootable USB from an ISO file on a Mac using the `dd` command is a simple process that requires just a few steps. By following these instructions, you'll be able to create a bootable USB drive without any third-party apps. Happy creating!

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