How to mount an ISO image/file under Linux

How do you mount ISO file on Linux using the CLI and GUI app? First, try to understand an ISO image. It is an archive file (disk image) of an optical disc using a conventional ISO (International Organization for Standardization) format. ISO image files typically have a file extension of .ISO. The name “ISO” comes from the ISO 9660 file system used with CD-ROM or DVD media, but an ISO image can also contain UDF file system because UDF is backward-compatible to ISO 9660. You can mount an ISO file or images via the loop device under Linux. It is possible to specify transfer functions (for encryption/decryption or other purposes) using loop device. This page explains how to mount ISO files on Linux.

How to Mount ISO File on Linux

1. Create the mount point directory on Linux: sudo mkdir /mnt/iso
2. Mount the ISO file on Linux: sudo mount -o loop /path/to/my-iso-image.iso /mnt/iso
3. Verify it, run: mount OR df -H OR ls -l /mnt/iso/
4. Unmount the ISO file using: sudo umount /mnt/iso/

More about loop devices on Linux

From the man page:

The loop device is a block device that maps its data blocks not to a physical device such as a hard disk or optical disk drive, but to the blocks of a regular file in a filesystem or to another block device. This can be useful for example to provide a block device for a filesystem image stored in a file, so that it can be mounted with the mount command.

A loop device is a pseudo-device that makes a file accessible as a block device. Loop devices are often used for CD ISO images and floppy disc images. Mounting a file containing a filesystem via such a loop mount makes the files within that filesystem accessible. They appear in the mount point directory using following Linux commands. So, how do you mount an ISO image file under Linux? You need to use the mount commandas follows:

Let us see all commands and examples in details.

Procedure to mount ISO file/images under Linux

First, you must login as a root user, if not root user then switch to root user using the su command:
$ su -
One can use the sudo command:
$ sudo -i
Next, create the directory i.e. mount point using the mkdir command, run:
# mkdir -p /mnt/disk
Finally, use the mount command as follows to mount iso file called disk1.iso:
# mount -o loop disk1.iso /mnt/disk
OR
# mount -o loop /path/to/disk1.iso /mnt/disk
Verify it with the df command or mount command:
# df -H
# mount
# ls -l /mnt/disk/
Change directory to list files stored inside an ISO image:
# cd /mnt/disk/
# ls -l
To copy files using the cp command:
$ cp file1 file2 /home/vivek/Downloads

Mounting ISO files on Linux using mount command

How do I unmount the ISO image on Linux?

Use the following command to unmount the ISO file/image on Linux:
$ sudo umount /mnt/disk/
OR
$ sudo umount /path/to/disk1.iso
Verify it:
$ df -H
$ mount
$ ls -l /mnt/disk/

How to mount an ISO file using a GUI app on Linux

Not a fan of the CLI? Try image management utility called furiusisomount:

Furius ISO Mount is a simple application for mounting ISO, IMG, BIN, MDF and NG image files even without burning them to disk. It provides the following features:
1. Automatically Mounts ISO, IMG, BIN, MDF and NRG image files.
2. Creates a mount point in your home directory.
3. Unmounts the Image files and mnd more.

How to install furiusisomount app

Type the following apt-get command/apt command on a Debian/Ubuntu/Mint Linux:
$ sudo apt install furiusisomount
Start furiusisomount:
$ furiusisomount &
Sample outputs:

Mount an ISO file on Linux using Furius ISO Mount GUI app

Just select an ISO image an click on the mount button. Open your file browser:

View mounted iso image in Ubuntu Linux file manager

Mounting ISO Files using Linux Gnome or KDE GUI

One can use the Files file manager app to browse and organize the files on your computer. You can also use it to manage files on storage devices (like external hard disks, iso images), on file servers, and on network shares. Open files where your .iso file is stored on the system:

Select the .iso image > Right click > choose Open With Disk Image Mounter option:

A device icon should appear in the left pane in Files itself and click on it to see files:

To unmount the iso file right click on the device icon in Files (left pane), Right Click and select “Unmount” option:

Conclusion

You learned how to use the mount, unmount command and GUI apps for mounting the ISO9660 images or files. For more information see:

• Allow normal user to mount linux partitions, usb stick/pen device
• Allow non-root user to write CDs