Ubuntu Wiki

This page is supposed to help you with getting your downloaded .img file onto a USB key, either with the usb-imagewriter GUI tool or the "old" way in a terminal via command line.

Warning

This will erase all data on your USB key. If you have important files on your USB device, copy them up to another disk before writing the USB image.

Using Usb Imagewriter

Click on the download link below to get the usb-imagewriter package. Firefox will offer to either download the file or, as default action, to open it with the gdebi package installer. Keep the default action and click OK.

Download usb-imagewriter here: usb-imagewriter for Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) or usb-imagewriter for Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)

After gdebi is finished installing, you will find a new launcher in your menu at Applications -> Accessories -> Image Writer

Put the USB key you want to write the image to into your USB port and give the system a second or two to recognize it.

Run the Image Writer tool, select your downloaded image (.img file), set the target device to your USB key and click on "Write to device".

Now wait until the tool tells you you can remove the key. If you want to see details of the copying process you can open the details window while it is writing.

More details, screenshots etc. about usb-imagewriter can be found at here

If you find any bugs in the tool, please report them at here

Using dd on a command line

1. Download the image to your hard drive.
2. Open a terminal and plug in your USB key
3. Run the dmesg command to find the devicename the kernel assigned to it. It will be something like "/dev/sda"

4. In the terminal run:

   sudo dd if=/path/to/your/downloaded.img of=/dev/device/you/saw/in/dmesg bs=1024 

5. Wait until the prompt returns, and unplug the USB key.

Booting from such a USB key will let you try a live session of Ubuntu Netbook Remix or install it.