Learn how to easily write an image file to an SD card using the ‘dd’ command line tool on Mac or Linux. Whether you want to write a boot image for Raspberry Pi or any other Linux installation, this guide has got you covered.
Step-by-Step Guide to Write .img to SD Card with dd Command
- Launch the Terminal application from the /Applications/Utilities/ folder.
- Make sure the .img file you want to write is in an easily accessible location.
- Run the command ‘diskutil list’ to find the disk tag associated with the SD card.
- Note down the rdiskNUMBER (disk ID) of the SD card.
- Use the following syntax to write the .img image file to the SD card:
sudo dd if=NameOfImageToWrite.img of=/dev/rdiskNUMBER bs=1m
- Replace ‘NameOfImageToWrite.img’ with the image file name and path, and ‘rdiskNUMBER’ with the disk ID of the SD card.
- Enter the administrator password and wait for the process to complete.
Writing an image file to an SD card using the dd command line tool is considered advanced, so make sure you are comfortable with the command line before proceeding. If you prefer a simpler option, you can use third-party applications like Etcher for image writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I use dd to write image files to an SD card on Windows?
A: No, dd is a command line tool primarily available for Mac and Linux operating systems. Windows users can opt for alternative tools like Win32DiskImager or Rufus.
Q: Are there any other methods to write image files to an SD card?
A: Yes, aside from using the dd command line tool, you can also burn disk images directly from the Mac Finder in modern Mac OS releases. Disk Utility can be used in older versions of Mac OS X. Additionally, there are third-party applications available for image writing.
