balenaEtcher – Flash OS Images to USB and SD Cards

Introduction to balenaEtcher

balenaEtcher is a free, open-source, cross-platform tool for flashing OS images to SD cards and USB drives. Developed by Balena, Etcher provides a simple, reliable way to create bootable USB drives and SD cards for installing operating systems, creating live USBs, or flashing firmware. The application validates writes to ensure successful flashing, reducing the risk of corrupted installations.

With its clean, modern interface, Etcher makes the often-complex process of creating bootable media accessible to users of all skill levels. The software supports a wide range of image formats and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it the go-to choice for system administrators, developers, and anyone who needs to flash bootable media regularly.

Key Features

Etcher provides automatic image detection, write validation, simultaneous flashing to multiple drives, and support for various image formats including ISO, IMG, ZIP, and more. The software features a simple three-step process: select image, select drive, and flash. Built-in validation ensures the flash was successful before completion.

Installation on Linux

# Via AppImage
# Download from balena.io/etcher
chmod +x balenaEtcher-*.AppImage
./balenaEtcher-*.AppImage

# Ubuntu/Debian (repository)
curl -1sLf 'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/balena/etcher/setup.deb.sh' | sudo -E bash
sudo apt update
sudo apt install balena-etcher-electron

# Arch Linux (AUR)
yay -S balena-etcher

# Fedora
# Download RPM from balena.io/etcher
sudo dnf install ./balena-etcher-*.rpm

Installation on Windows

# Download from balena.io/etcher
# Run balenaEtcher-Setup-*.exe

# Via Winget
winget install Balena.Etcher

# Via Chocolatey
choco install etcher

# Portable version available

Installation on macOS

# Via Homebrew
brew install --cask balenaetcher

# Or download DMG from balena.io/etcher

Basic Usage

# Three-step process:

# 1. Select Image
# Click "Flash from file"
# Or "Flash from URL"
# Supported: ISO, IMG, ZIP, GZ, XZ, BZ2

# 2. Select Target
# Insert USB/SD card
# Click "Select target"
# Choose drive (carefully!)

# 3. Flash
# Click "Flash!"
# Wait for write and validation
# Done when complete

Supported Formats

# Image formats:
# - ISO (Linux, Windows installers)
# - IMG (Raw disk images)
# - ZIP (Compressed images)
# - GZ, XZ, BZ2 (Compressed)
# - DMG (macOS images)

# Common uses:
# - Linux distribution installers
# - Raspberry Pi images
# - Windows installation media
# - Recovery drives
# - Firmware updates

Command Line Usage

# Etcher CLI available via Balena CLI
npm install -g balena-cli

# Flash image
balena local flash image.iso --drive /dev/sdb

# List drives
balena util available-drives

Safety Features

# Drive protection:
# - System drives excluded
# - Clear drive selection
# - Size verification

# Validation:
# - Write verification enabled by default
# - Detects corrupted writes
# - Reports success/failure

# Settings:
# Click gear icon for options
# - Auto-unmount on success
# - Validate write

Conclusion

balenaEtcher simplifies the process of creating bootable USB drives and SD cards, providing a reliable, user-friendly experience across all major platforms. Its validation feature ensures successful writes, making it an essential tool for anyone who regularly works with OS images and bootable media.