A Blog by Expatriotic

Create a Bootable USB Drive

Once you have downloaded your verified ISO file, you need to write it to a USB stick.

Warning: This process will completely erase everything on your USB drive.

If using MacOS

  1. Find your ISO path: Locate your downloaded ISO file.

  2. Identify your USB drive: Open Terminal and run:

    diskutil list

    Look for your USB drive (usually labeled "external"). Note the identifier (e.g., /dev/disk3 or /dev/disk4). Do not pick disk0 or disk1 (that is your hard drive).

  3. Unmount the drive: Replace N with your disk number (e.g., disk3).

    diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskN

  4. Write the ISO (The "Burn"): We use /dev/rdisk (raw disk) for faster speeds.

    • Type sudo dd if=
    • Drag and drop your ISO file from Finder into the terminal window (this autofills the path).
    • Type of=/dev/rdiskN bs=1m status=progress (replace N with your disk number).

    The full command should look like this:

    sudo dd if=/Users/name/Downloads/manjaro.iso of=/dev/rdisk3 bs=1m status=progress

  5. Wait: When the command prompt returns, the drive is ready.

If using Linux

  1. Identify your USB drive:

    lsblk

    Identify your USB drive by size (e.g., /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc).

  2. Unmount existing partitions: Replace sdX with your drive letter (e.g., sdb).

    sudo umount /dev/sdX*

  3. Write the ISO:

    # Syntax: sudo dd if=[ISO_FILE] of=[DRIVE] bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

sudo dd if=./manjaro-gnome-21.0.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress oflag=sync

    Note: Point of= to the drive (e.g., /dev/sdb), NOT a partition (e.g., /dev/sdb1).

If using Windows

Windows does not have a native "dd" tool that is safe for beginners. Use Rufus.

  1. Download Rufus (Portable version is fine).
  2. Plug in your USB stick and open Rufus.
  3. Device: Ensure your USB stick is selected.
  4. Boot selection: Click SELECT and choose your Linux ISO file.
  5. Partition scheme: Select GPT (for modern UEFI computers) or MBR (for older BIOS computers).
  6. Click START.
    • Note: If Rufus asks to write in "ISO Image mode" or "DD Image mode," select ISO Image mode (recommended). If booting fails later, retry this step and select DD Image mode.

Pro Tip: The "Ventoy" Method (Easiest)

If you switch distros often, stop formatting your USB drive.

  1. Download and install Ventoy to your USB drive.
  2. This formats the drive once.
  3. Simply copy-paste your ISO files (Ubuntu, Manjaro, Windows, etc.) onto the USB drive like normal files.
  4. When you boot the USB, Ventoy gives you a menu to choose which ISO to launch.

#guides #linux #tech