Re: Write an install image to a flash drive?

[Jason Mitchell <jmitchel%bigjar.com@localhost>]

On Aug 25, 2019, at 8:26 AM, Rhialto <rhialto%falu.nl@localhost> wrote:

>>  | I _can't imagine_ how many stupid things I just did, but could 
>>  | someone please tell me how to get that install image onto the 
>>  | flash drive in a form that will boot?
>> 
>> You cannot.  "That" image is in ISO format, which have a booting
>> method unique in the universe.  You need an image set up for booting
>> from a memory stick, which is much more similar to a regular drive
>> than a CD (ISO format).
> 
> *Some* BIOSes allow booting USB sticks even if they contain ISO images.
> I'm certain I've done it a few times with Ubuntu images. But last time I
> tried it with a NetBSD ISO image, it failed. (But I'm not sure if I
> actually tried it on the same computer for instance, or if maybe the
> Ubuntu images contain something special to make this possible).
> 
> -Olaf.
> -- 
> Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert -- rhialto at falu dot nl
> ___  Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on
> \X/  no account be allowed to do the job.       --Douglas Adams, "THGTTG"

Are you talking about an .iso image on a FAT filesystem or what programs like Rufus (Windows) or Etcher (MacOS) do, which is taking an iso image and writing it to a USB drive. I always assumed that there was some conversion involved, but I could be wrong. Rufus also talks about “hybrid” iso images which have a partition table, apparently.