I often hear people refer to the Linux kernel as the Linux kernel image and I can’t seem to find an answers on any search engines as to why its called an image.

When I think of an image I can only think of two things either a copy of a disk in or a photo. It sure as hell isn’t a photo image so why is it referred to as an image?

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

5 Answers 5

The Unix boot process has (had) only limited capabilities of intelligently loading a program (relocating it, loading libraries etc). Therefore the initial program was an exact image, stored on disc, of what needed to be loaded into memory and “called” to get the kernel going.

Only much later things like (de-)compression were added and although more powerful bootloaders are now in place, the image name has stuck.

The word image also has a definition “A file that contains all information needed to produce a live working copy.”

It doesn’t mean an “image” is just a 1:1 copy of a disk. Just as a photograph represents the reality exactly as it was when shooting, an image of an executable program (or kernel) represents the program in a state, where it can be loaded (or unpacked) in the systems memory exactly as it is and then given control to it. That program can then start running from that state in a consistent manner. So the Linux kernel image is an image (a picture of the state) of the Linux kernel that is able to run by itself after giving the control to it.

Nowadays, the bootloader loads such an image from the hard disk’s filesystem (driver is needed), replaces itself with it and so gives the control to it. The booting process of a computer does that several times until the operating system finally runs. This is called chain loading. Or if a smaller program (chain-)loads a more complex one, it is called bootstrapping.

The BIOS loads the bootloader that is also an image, for example called boot.img in case of grub . That boot.img is not a file (if grub is installed); it is the name for the part that is in the Master Boot Record (MBR). If you dump that to a file it would then be an image in form of a file not rawly written to disk, but rawly written in a file. This is also a representation (image) of the earliest state where grub is able to load the rest of itself. grub then has its own mechanism how to fully load itself by loading other images. This is represented by the different stages in grub . After that, the bootloader loads the kernel image by replacing itself with the extracted contents of that file.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Ancient History. the term image comes from an old Digital Equipment Corporation term for the output from the compiler-> linker. the file is an image created by interpreting the code and so on through the linker to make an executable “Image” of your design.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

In math the kernel is the inverse image of a subset of the image of a some map, were the subset is equal to the identity element in the codomain. I’m certain these names derive from mathematical concepts as they are related significantly in various fields in mathematics. Considering Unix was derived in an academic environment it may be possible that it’s use of these word’s kernel and image are the same.

If you have a set which represents some level of information about the “complete” O.S., if that information also forms a group then you can define group homomorphism’s on that set or basically maps to other sets having different sizes then the original set so long as they “respect” the orginal set’s structure that made it a group. You can see it may be in one’s favor to map the set to a smaller set or a subset of some set where the subset is smaller.

Image – The image of a group homomorphism and in general functions and maps, are just a subset of some set, who’s elements actually get mapped to. The function may not map to every single element and those elements would not be included in the image.

Kernel – Basically just the elements from the original set that map to the image, but only map to the identity element in the image. Basically the elements that map to 0 like thing in the image.

If the image is smaller in size then the original set then we can see multiple items must map to one single element. So for example there may be multiple elements from the kernel that map to the image and we already know they all have to map to 0.

We can see that if we choose the original set to be finite sequences of binary or 1’s and 0’s and the codomain (set mapped to) to be also sequences of binary, then we can construct such things if and only if, a suitable group structure can be defined (this little bit in depth and unrelated to question asked).

Future is here!

Future is here!

  • By Editorial Team
  • On Sep 27, 2019
  • In LinuxQuick Fix

In this article, we would discuss how to add ISO image as CD-ROM repository in Ubuntu distribution. The bootable ISO image of Ubuntu distribution contains hundreds of packages. These packages can be installed either during Ubuntu installation or later. It makes sense not to install all the packages available on CD/DVD beforehand. We can install required packages as and when required.

To install the required packages; we have two options available –

  1. Download packages over internet, or
  2. Fetch them through ISO image.

Downloading a package over internet is pretty straight-forward. All we need to do is update the repository and then install the relevant packages. For instance, if we want to install Firefox web browser then issue the following in terminal –

But, installing a package from CD-ROM requires you to add the repository in /etc/apt/sources.list first. Thereafter, we can mount the ISO and fetch the relevant packages. Now, we will discuss each of these operations step-by-step and explain it with examples wherever necessary.

Note: Following operations would require you to have superuser privileges. In case you don’t have one, then contact your System Administrator for assistance.

Use ISO image as CD-ROM repository

There are two methods through which we can add a CD-ROM repository.

Method 1. Manually edit the SourcesList

Firstly, we need to mount the ISO image. Thereafter, we would make relevant entries in /etc/apt/sources.list file.

Make a directory to mount the ISO –

Now, we will mount the ISO image on /mnt/mount-iso/ through mount command –

Open /etc/apt/sources.list in a text editor, we have used nano.

And, add the following entries in /etc/apt/sources.list

At this point you would get the error –

E: The repository ‘file:/mnt/mount-iso eoan Release’ does not have a Release file.

We did this on purpose. If everything has been done as mentioned up till now. Then, you are bound to get the error. Otherwise, there is something amiss. This error basically tells us that release file for Ubuntu distribution is not found on ISO image. To get rid of the issue, we need to add [trusted=yes] in the /etc/apt/sources.list.

Hence, replace the following line –

Now, you can install required packages available in CD-ROM.

Additional Info

You need to mount ( mount -o loop /path/to/ubuntu-19.10-desktop-amd64.iso /mnt/mount-iso/ ) the ISO image every time you log in to your system. Therefore, to make the mount permanent we need to make the following entries in /etc/fstab file.

Open the file with a text editor –

And, add following entries –

This will make sure your mount will survive after every reboot.

Method 2. Use apt-cdrom command-line utility.

We need to make a directory on which ISO image will be mounted.

To temporary mount, which survives till next boot –

To make the mount permanent, we need to append /etc/fstab with following entries –

Now, we will use the command-line utility apt-cdrom to get the relevant entries added in /etc/apt/sources.list

To update the repository –

And, you can install the relevant packages available in CD-ROM.

In conclusion, we have discussed the two methods available to use ISO image as CD-ROM repository.

I don’t want to burn a CD, DVD or USB memory stick. And I don’t care about saving the existing operating system (Linux Mint). I want to install Ubuntu (actually Kubuntu 12.04 LTS) to the computer directly from the ISO image. The image is for the Kubuntu Live DVD (3.5 GB).

The computer is now booted into Linux Mint. A set of command line steps would be satisfactory. In my mind, I simply need to trick the existing system into thinking I inserted a CD/DVD, right?

I know there is a similar question already but it does not have a good answer. The answer basically says, “see this link.” I reviewed the link and I decided that StackExchange needs a good answer to this question. Furthermore, most answers at other places on the Internet assume the user is coming to Ubuntu from Windows. So I think this question is one that needs a good answer here. Thanks

2 Answers 2

I found this looking around on the net.

Grub2 is capable of directly booting ISO images for many Linux distros if the entries have been properly defined in the Grub2 configuration files.

The ISO image must be placed on a separate partition that does not have an operating system installed on it. For the sake of simplicity, we would place it inside a new directory under /boot (assuming it is on a separate partition).

Create the new directory and copy your ISO image:

/Desktop/name.iso is the location and name of your ISO image assuming that the image is located at your desktop.

Add the Grub2 entry:

The entry for the ISO image needs to be added to /etc/grub.d/40_custom file. Edit the file by:

And replace the text in that file with this one:

  • Kubuntu ISO = The name you want to display in the Grub menu.
  • boot/iso/kubuntu-12.04.iso = The location and name of your ISO image.
  • (hd0,8) = The partition which contains the ISO image.
  • note: the tail -n +4 means simply “which line grub starts to read the configuration from as is”. the 4th line in this example is the first comment line, which is fine.

Grub reads the partitions in a different way than Ubuntu does. ‘hd0’ means first HDD which is read as sda by Ubuntu, and 8 is the partition which is the same as for Ubuntu. So in other words, (hd0,8) means ‘sda8’.

To find out your partition, run this command in a Terminal:

Suppose your image is contained in the sda1 partition, you’d change (hd0,8) in the above line to (hd0,1) and if the image is in the sdb1 partition, you’d change (hd0,8) to (hd1,1) .

Save and close this file and now run this command:

Reboot and choose the new ISO entry from Grub menu this time. Hopefully, it will boot successfully to the desktop.

Now, if you want to perform an installation from the same ISO, you’d need to unmount the ISO image first as it is mounted from a partition on your HDD (probably you’ve got a single HDD and want to install Ubuntu to the same HDD) and the installer needs to unmount any mounted partitions before it can make any changes.

So, from the Live CD environment, go to a Terminal and run:

That’s all. Now you can double-click the ‘Install’ icon at the desktop and proceed with the installation.

Users can create a backup of their current installation in an ISO file format. The ISO file can also be used as an external drive, or you can make a bootable USB. if you have an ISO file, then you can create the installation disc by burning the image to a CD or USB.

This article shows you how to create an ISO file from a currently installed Ubuntu 20.04 system. You can create an ISO file from the current installation of Ubuntu 20.04 using any of the following methods.

Create an ISO File Using the Brasero Utility

The Brasero utility does not come preinstalled on Ubuntu 20.04, so you will need to install this utility manually. Open the ‘Terminal’ window by pressing the ‘Ctrl+Alt+T’ shortcut keys together. Install the Brasero utility using the following command:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Once the installation has been completed, open the Brasero application. To open this application, click the menu icon displayed in the bottom-left corner of your desktop in Ubuntu 20.04.

Now, type ‘Brasero’ in the search bar to search the Brasero application. The Brasero application icon should appear in the search results. Click the icon to open this application.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

The following Brasero application window will display on your system. Select the ‘Data project’ option from the menu on the left side of the window.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Add the files to the new data project by clicking the ‘+’ icon.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Now, select the individual backup directories and click the ‘Add’ button.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

When all files are included in this project, click ‘Burn.’

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Choose the desired location in which you will store the ISO file. Give a suitable name with an .iso extension to your ISO file and click ‘Create Image.’

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Once the above process has been completed, you will be notified with an ‘image successfully created’ message, as follows:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Create an ISO File Using the Genisoimage Utility

You can create an ISO file from a backup of your Ubuntu 20.04 system using the Genisoimage utility. The basic syntax is given below:

Here, we are creating an ISO file with the name ‘backup.iso’ from the backup directory /home/kbuzdar/Documents/Backup. Use the following command to do so:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

The above command creates the ISO file ‘backup.iso’ in the current home directory.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Using the Systemback Utility

You can create a backup of the system’s file and all configurations using the Systemback utility. In this section, you will create a live image of your system, then convert it into an ISO file format.

First, import the signing key of GPG for PPA using the following command:

Now, add PPA to Ubuntu 20.04 by executing the command provided below:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Once the above task has been completed, update the package list and install the Systemback utility, as follows:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Once this application has been installed, search for the app in the search bar, and click on the displaying icon to open the app, as follows:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Here, you will be prompted to enter a password for the admin user.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

After that, the following window will display on your system. You can create the system’s restore points, create a copy of the system to another partition, create a live system, and more. Click the ‘Live system create’ option to create a new live system.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Specify the name of your live system and click the ‘Create New’ button, as follows:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

It will take time to create a live system. Once the system has been created, you can generate the ISO file using the ‘convert into ISO’ option.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Conclusion

This article showed you three different methods for creating ISO files from your current system. First, you must create a backup of your Ubuntu 20.04 system, then create the ISO file using the above utilities.

About the author

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Karim Buzdar

Karim Buzdar holds a degree in telecommunication engineering and holds several sysadmin certifications. As an IT engineer and technical author, he writes for various web sites. He blogs at LinuxWays.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Table of Contents

Introduction

An ISO file is an archive file (disk image) of an optical disc using a conventional ISO (International Organization for Standardization) format that typically contains the complete image of a CD or DVD.

For example, most operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS are distributed as ISO images.

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.

ISO files can be extracted using popular archive programs, mounted on a loop device, and written to a USB flash drive or blank CD disc.

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.

Step# 1

Start by creating the mount point, it can be any location you want.

Step# 2

Mount the ISO file to the mount point by typing the following mount command.

What is important here is the -o loop option.

It tells the command to map a loop device to the specified ISO file and mount that device on the specified mount point.

Don’t forget to replace /path/to/documents.iso with the path to your ISO file.

Step# 3

To view the ISO image content, use the ls command.

You can also open a file manager to view the ISO contents.

How to unmount an ISO file in Linux

Unmount the ISO file by using the umount command followed by the directory where the image has been mounted.

Important Options

  • -t : This argument is used to indicate the given filesystem type.
  • ISO 9660 : It describes standard and default filesystem structure to be used on CD/DVD ROMs.
  • -o : Options are necessary with a -o argument followed by a separated comma string of options.
  • loop : The loop device is a pseudo-device that often used for mounting CD/DVD ISO image and makes those files accessible as a block device.

Conclusion

I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to Mount ISO File on Linux.

If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.

Mkisofs command in Linux is used to create filesystems for writing on CD-ROM devices. The cdrecord utility will actually burn the disk. The mkisofs command prepares the files to be burnt on the medium.

Mkisofs creates an iso file, which is the image file (archive) of the optical disk.

This tutorial explains mkisofs tool in Linux to create iso image.

Using Mkisofs

According to the manual page of mkisofs command

ISO9660 filesystem has some limitations

• The filenames must be in 8.3 format, i.e. filename can have maximum 8 characters with 3 characters extension using uppercase letters, numbers and underscore only.

• Maximum directory depth is 8.

• File names cannot have any spaces. Maximum one dot is allowed in the file name. The directories shall not contain any dot.

While creating an iso9660 file, the filenames will be mapped as follows

• filenames are truncated to 8 characters.
• all dots in filenames except the last one are translated to underscore.
• filename version is appended to file name as ;n.
• For example, ‘initrd-latest.img’ will be mapped to ‘initrd_l.img’.

In RRIP (Rock Ridge Interchange Protocol) extension allows

• Longer filenames (upto 255 bytes) and fewer restrictions on allowed characters (support for lowercase etc.)
• UNIX-style file modes, user ids and group ids, and file timestamps
• Support for Symbolic links and device files
• Deeper directory hierarchy (more than 8 levels)
• Efficient storage of sparse files

By default, mkisofs command dumps the output on the STDOUT. The output filename can be given with -o switch. A simple example of using mkisofs:

How to List Content of ISO file

Content of an ISO file can be listed using isoinfo and extracted using p7zip .

The following command will list the content of a ISO file.

The following command will extract files to ‘extracted_folder’ from ‘bootiso.iso’ file.

Mount ISO file on Directory

Lets mount iso file on to a directory. Run the following command:

The original contents of /boot directory is:

The filenames are mapped as follows:

The uppercase filenames are mapped to lowercase while showing these contents.

The -R option tells mkisofs to use Rock Ridge protocol. Other useful options to mkisofs are:

Now, using these options:

In this tutorial, we learned how to create an iso image in Linux. If you have any questions or feedback, feel free to leave a comment.

Mount Command

The mount command, as the name suggests, allows you to mount a variety of filesystems. Once you mount a ISO image filesystem using the mount command, you will be able to explore its content using a graphical file manager or command line. To mount an ISO image file, use the following two commands in succession:

Replace “file.iso” with the name of your own ISO image file. You can change “mountpoint” to any other name. It represents the name of the folder where the ISO image filesystem will be mounted. In this case, a new folder is created in the home directory. On certain Linux distributions, you may have to prefix “mount” command with “sudo” to run the command as root.

To check if the ISO image file has been successfully mounted or not, you can run the following command:

If the command above returns a list of files and directories, then you can safely assume that the ISO image filesystem has been successfully mounted. You can now copy contents from the mount point to your local filesystem. Do note that most of the time, this mounted filesystem may be in read-only mode. If you want to modify the contents of the ISO image file, you may have to remove the write-protection mechanism and may have to use some external tools to repackage the ISO image file.

To unmount the mount point created in previous command, use the command specified below:

You may have to run it with “sudo” depending on configuration of your Linux distribution. It is highly recommended that you manually unmount the mount point once your work is done to avoid file corruption.

You can know more about “mount” command by running these two commands in a terminal:

Mount / Extract Using Archive Managers

File managers in almost all major Linux distributions come with an integrated plugin for extracting and managing compressed archives. You can use these archive managers to mount or extract content from ISO image files.

If for some reason your file manager doesn’t have a dedicated archive manager plugin, you can install such archive managers in your Linux distributions by searching for “archive manager”, “file roller”, “archivemount” and “engrampa” terms in the package manager. Once these packages are installed, just right click on an ISO image file and click on the menu entry that allows you to explore the archive.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Depending on the archive manager plugin you are using, the ISO image filesystem may be mounted or it may be opened in the archive manager GUI window. Once mounted, a new filesystem entry should appear in the sidebar of your file manager. Just click on the sidebar entry to explore its content. When your work is done, unmount it manually to avoid file corruption.

GNOME Disks

GNOME Disks or GNOME Disk Utility is a comprehensive utility for managing storage devices, local filesystems, partitions and disk image files. You can use it to mount an ISO image file and browse its contents. To install GNOME Disks in Ubuntu, use the command specified below:

You can install GNOME Disks from the package manager in other Linux distributions. Source code is available here.

You can follow two approaches to mount an ISO image file using GNOME Disks. After installing GNOME Disks, a new right click menu entry called “Disk Image Mounter” may appear in your file manager. Just click on the menu entry to mount the ISO image file.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

If the right click entry doesn’t appear in your file manager, launch “Disks” application from the main application menu and click on the “Attach Disk Image” menu option to mount your desired ISO image file.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Once mounted, the newly created mount point should automatically appear in the GNOME Disks and your file manager.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

P7zip-full

P7zip-full is an open source implementation of “7z” file format and archive management utility. You can use it to extract contents of an ISO image file.

To install P7zip-full in Ubuntu, use the command specified below:

You can install P7zip-full from the package manager in other Linux distributions. Additional packages and source code is available here.

Once installed, run the following command to extract content from an ISO image file (replace “file.iso” with your desired filename):

You can know more about “7z” command by running these two commands in a terminal:

Depending on the file manager you are using, you may get a new menu entry in the right click menu to extract the ISO archive.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Conclusion

These are some of the ways you can mount ISO image files in your Linux distribution. Some Linux distributions come with a dedicated, pre-installed utility for mounting and burning CD / DVD disks. You can also use these applications to explore the data contained in an ISO image file.

About the author

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Nitesh Kumar

I am a freelancer software developer and content writer who loves Linux, open source software and the free software community.

Apr 23, 2021
Comment

Do you need to get an Ubuntu Desktop VM set up in VMware Workstation on your Windows, Mac, or Linux PC? Can’t figure out how to do it? We can help! Follow along as we go over how to set up an Ubuntu Desktop VM in VMware Workstation.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Downloading the VMware image

If you need to create a VMware image of Ubuntu for use in VMware workstation, there are a few ways to go about it. You could go to Ubuntu.com, download the ISO, and manually install the OS. Or, you could download a ready-made VMware image from OSBoxes. In this section of the guide, we’ll show you how to do both.

Downloading from Ubuntu.com

If you prefer to set up your Ubuntu VMWare image from scratch, you’ll need to download the ISO file from Ubuntu.com manually. Head over to Ubuntu.com, and find the “Download” tab.

Click on “Download.” Once you do, a pop-up window will appear on the screen. In this window, locate the “Ubuntu Desktop” section, and select 20.04 LTS. After selecting this button, you will be taken through the download process.

The download process should start instantaneously. The Ubuntu ISO file is about 2.7 GB in size. As a result, it may take a couple of minutes to download. When the process is done, move on to the next section of the guide.

Getting an OSBoxes VMWare image

If you’re not at all interested in dealing with the Ubuntu installation and ISO files, you can download a pre-configured release of Ubuntu tailored for VMware. The only downside to this method is that you do not get to customize your password or username.

To start the download, Head over to the Ubuntu OSBoxes page. Once there, look for Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. Then, click on the “VMware” tab. Upon clicking on this tab, you’ll see “VMware (VMDK) 64bit,” followed by a download link.

Click on the download link to grab a compressed Ubuntu VMDK file. The download shouldn’t take long, as it is only about 1.9 GB in size. When the download is complete, open up your file manager, select “Downloads,” right-click on “64bit.7z,” and decompress it to use it as a VMware image.

After decompressing the VMDK file from the “64bit.7z” archive, rename it from “Ubuntu 20.04.2 (64bit).vmdk” to “Ubuntu.vmdk”.

Setting up the Ubuntu VMware machine

Now that Ubuntu is downloaded (either by ISO or by VMDK from OSBoxes), it is time to configure the VM in VMware. Follow along with the instructions below that match your use case.

Setting up Ubuntu in VMware via downloaded ISO image

First, open up VMware Workstation 16 on Linux, Windows, or whatever operating system you are using as a Host OS. Once it is open, locate the “Create a New Virtual Machine” button in the Home tab in VMWare. Or, select “File,” followed by “New Virtual Machine.”

After clicking on “New Virtual Machine,” a Wizard will appear. This Wizard is to help you configure your new VM. Select the “Typical (recommended)” option, and select “Next” to continue to the next page.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

On the next page, locate “Use ISO image” and click on it with the mouse. Then, select “Browse” and browse for your Ubuntu ISO file on the computer.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

With the ISO loaded into VMware Workstation, you will see “Easy Install Information.” On this page, fill out your full name, preferred Ubuntu username as well as a password. When down, press “Next.”

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

You must now name your VM. By default, it is set as “Ubuntu 64-bit.” Leave it, and press “Next” to continue. Or, rename it and press “Next.”

On the next page, select “Store virtual disk as a single file.” Then, click on the “Next” button to continue. Then, after moving on to the next page, select “Finish” to close the Wizard.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

When you click “Finish,” Ubuntu should instantly start-up and begin installing the VM. When the installation is complete, it’ll be ready to use!

Setting up Ubuntu in VMware via OSboxes VMDK

To set up an Ubuntu VM with the downloaded OSBoxes VMDK, do the following. First, click on the Home tab, and select “Create a New Virtual Machine.” Then, select “Typical (recommended)”.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

On the next page, select “I will install the operating system later.” We do not need to install the OS, as it is already set up on the VMDK we downloaded from OSBoxes.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

On “Select a Guest Operating System,” choose “2. Linux,” and press the “Next” button to continue.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

On the next page, set the name as “Ubuntu,” and click “Next” to move to the next page. After choosing a name, select “Store virtual disk as a single file.”

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Select the “Finish” button to close the installer. When the installer is closed, go to your “Ubuntu” VM in the library sidebar, and right-click on it. Then, select the “Open VM directory” option.

Upon opening up the VM directory, delete Ubuntu.vmdk. Then, open up a second file manager window and drag in the Osboxes “Ubuntu.vmdk” file (which you renamed from “Ubuntu 20.04.2 (64bit).vmdk” to “Ubuntu.vmdk” earlier) into the VM directory.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

After swapping out the VMDK file, go back to the “Ubuntu” VM in the “Library” sidebar in VMware, and select “Start up this guest operating system” to turn it on!

I’m running into trouble trying to mount a large iso:

Can you tell me how I should do it?

14 Answers 14

Try mounting it using a GUI.

Navigate to the *.iso file using a file manager, then Right click -> Open with Archive Mounter .

Or you can install the Furius ISO Mount. It is available in the Ubuntu Software Center:

Here are some screenshots:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

Maybe, instead of installing additional software, you can use what the system has to this end:

Create a directory to serve as the mount location:

Mount the ISO in the target directory:

Unmount the ISO:

On your desktop will appear the mounted ISO.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

I found the easiest and fastest way to handle the ISO file in Ubuntu 14.04 was to right click on the ISO file, choose Disk Image Mounter and then simply proceed to the newly opened directory:

In case you don’t have installed, you can use this command in terminal to install it:

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

I really like Furius ISO Mount, it’s a simple application for mounting ISO, IMG, BIN, MDF and NG files.

  • Automatically Mounts ISO, IMG, BIN, MDF and NRG Image Files.
  • Automatically creates a mount point in your home directory.
  • Automatically Unmounts the Image files.
  • Automatically removes the mount directory to return your home directory to its previous state.
  • Automatically saves the history of the last 10 images mounted.
  • Mounts multiple images.
  • Burn ISO and IMG Files to optical disk.
  • Generate Md5 and SHA1 checksums.
  • Automatically retrieves any previously unmounted images.
  • Automatically generates a log file of all commands needed to mount and unmount images manually.
  • Localizable (currently Czech, Danish, French, Hungarian, Italian, German, Polish, Slovenian, Spanish and Turkish are available.

How to use an iso image on ubuntu linux

If 5 stars from 77 ratings is enough to convince you open up your Ubuntu Software Manager and search for Furius ISO Mount.