dd is a perfect tool for copy a file, converting and formatting according to the operands. It can create exact CD-ROM ISO image.
This is useful for making backup as well as for hard drive installations require a working the use of ISO images.
How do I use dd command to create an ISO image?
Put CD into CDROM
Do not mount CD. Verify if cd is mounted or not with mount command:
# mount
If cd was mouted automatically unmout it with umount command:
# umount /dev/cdrom
OR
# umount /mnt/cdrom
Create CD-ROM ISO image with dd command:
# dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/tmp/cdimg1.iso
Where,
- if=/dev/cdrom: Read from /dev/cdrom (raw format)
- of=/tmp/cdimg1.iso: write to FILE cdimg1.iso i.e. create an ISO image
Now you can use cdimg1.iso for hard disk installation or as a backup copy of cd. Please note that dd command is standard UNIX command and you should able to create backup/iso image under any UNIX like operating system.
See also:
- To verify the ISO images use an md5sum program
- Extracting particular file from Linux ISO (CD image) file after installation
- How do I write CD at Debain Linux command prompt
- Splits directory into multiple with equal size for ISO burning purpose
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
This has cemented my love of *nix. I already knew that you could mount disk images using
mount, but the using ofddto make a disk image. That was the best bit. I have the need to make alot of images, for various reasons. And its faster than on windows. (In my experience anyway).You better add some blocksize parameter using bs=$something or it will take quite a while…
This just made my day, thank you. For some reason, Brasero wouldn’t copy the cd, but dd did it without error.
Thank you very much!
I didn’t know i could do this directly :P
I used to do:
dd if=/dev/cdrom1 of=./image.img
img2iso image.img image.iso
Thank you! :D
It works, thanks!
I have a Dual booted pc (Linux/XP) I would like to take the Windows XP partition and create an ISO for a VM. Is it possible? I expect when XP wakes up in a VM environment there might be a few problems with hardware recognition but that can be addressed later.
It works fine. Thanks.
Why is it necessary to unmount the CD-ROM first?
Using this method is reading the bits straight from the device. If it is mounted, then the device will be “in use” as it is already mounted to another folder. You could still use dd to make an image of the mounted location (i.e., /media/mounteddisk) but then it would be like burning a folder to disk instead of getting the exact formatting of a CD.
You just made my day :)
Thnx
Thank You
its great to work in the terminal
i love Linux
Thanks!
Iam using fedora 14 and all the gui programs are buggy, crashing and sometimes they have problems with certain CDs,but
dd… and the other command line tools.. they never leaves me in the lurch!
Thanks
Hello friends
I need your help in installing redhat linux5 on my laptop compaq presario cq40 having windows vista operating system. when I am installing linux then it is not recognizing my partition and dvdram drive asking for the location of linux image. I have formated one partition with ext3 but it is not seen by windows. how ever when loading linux it detects my hard disk but not finding image. I don’t know how to load the image of linux in cd from windows vista operating system. if you can help me in this regard then I will remain thankful to you.
thanks
OP Singh
Very good!
Thanks