# Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to USB



## logicassassin (Aug 30, 2014)

I have a laptop that I want to use with FreeBSD 9.3 (Dell Mini 1012). The catch is twofold: 1) I don't have a DVD burner handy so I need to do the install from a USB flash drive. 2) I need to take the USB install media and install FreeBSD it to another flash drive. I've done this in the past with Linux, where I've had to do this and was successful with it. 

I've tried all manner of ISO to USB utility under Windows and simply cannot write the FreeBSD DVD ISO to the flash drive properly. I tried to use dd under Linux and even that didn't work. I'm wondering now how I can write this DVD ISO to a USB drive and get it to boot so I can install it. 

The other issue (maybe) is installing FreeBSD 9.3 to a flash drive as its primary hard drive. I know this works under Linux without a hitch (I had Backtrack, Kali, Fedora, and CentOS running from flash drives). The reason I need to do this now is that the laptop already has WinXP and Kali Linux installed and I have no more drive space for another OS. 

Can this work?


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## bsdkeith (Aug 30, 2014)

*Re: Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to U*

You need to download the .img file and dd that to your pendrive; and yes it should install to another pendrive, just be careful that you use the right drive designations.


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## logicassassin (Aug 30, 2014)

*Re: Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to U*

So I can't `dd` the full ISO?


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## wblock@ (Aug 30, 2014)

*Re: Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to U*

No.  The ISO image is for CD and DVDs only.  The memory stick images are for memory sticks, and can also be used on other types of block devices like hard drives.


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## balanga (Sep 25, 2014)

*Re: Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to U*



			
				bsdkeith said:
			
		

> You need to download the .img file and dd that to your pendrive; and yes it should install to another pendrive, just be careful that you use the right drive designations.



Is there any conversion utility to create an .img from a  .iso? I want to install the i386 bootonly  ISO image from a pen drive. Maybe I can extract the  .iso and then copy the contents to a pendrive after making it bootable.


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## wblock@ (Sep 25, 2014)

*Re: Writing a FreeBSD ISO to USB flash drive/installing to U*



			
				balanga said:
			
		

> Is there any conversion utility to create an .img from a  .iso?



There are utilities out there, mostly made for Linux.  They often do not work with current FreeBSD versions.



> I want to install the i386 bootonly  ISO image from a pen drive.



Use the "mini-memstick" image.  The ISO is made only for CDs or DVDs.


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