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How to Create And Boot from a Linux Usb Drive on Mac?
To know how to create and boot from a Linux USB drive on Mac computer, refer to the easy instructions provided on this web page.
Step 1 – Formatting the drive
- First, connect your USB drive to your Mac computer.
- On the home screen of the Mac computer, click the Applications option followed by the Utilities option and select the Disk Utility option.
- Choose the USB drive from the left panel and click the Erase tab.
- Fill the Name field, select the MS-DOS (FAT) option from the Format drop-down menu, and choose the GUID Partition Map option from the Scheme drop-down list.
- Click the Erase option at the bottom.
- By following these steps on how to create and boot from a linux USB drive on Mac.
Step 2
Download a Linux distros software.

Step 3 – Bootable Linux USB drive
Procedure 1 – Using the balenaEtcher software
- The balenaEtcher is an open-source software that helps you to burn disc images on USB drives.
- Download and install the balenaEtcher software.
- Also, download the Linux image as per your preference.
- After inserting the drive, open the main interface of the installed software on the Mac computer.
- Click the Select Image option and choose the downloaded Linux image.
- Make sure the correct USB drive is selected. If not, click the Change option and choose the correct one from the displayed list of connected devices.
- Finally, click the Flash option.
- A warning error message would appear on the screen stating that ‘Your USB drive isn’t compatible with Mac.’
- Leave this error message and eject the USB drive.
- If you do not want to use the balenaEtcher software, you can perform the following steps on how to create and boot from a linux USB drive on Mac.

Procedure 2 – Using the built-in command lines
- Open the Terminal application.
- Check where the Linux disc image is saved.
- Type ‘hdiutil convert [X] -format UDRW -o [Y]’ without the quotes in the Terminal window and press Enter.
- Note: The letter X denotes the location of the downloaded Linux image (ISO image). The letter Y denotes the destination where you have to save the converted image.
- Enter the following command lines in the Terminal window.
- diskutil list
- Diskutil unmountDisk /dev/[diskM]
- Note: Replace the diskM with your disk number.
- Sudo dd if=[Y] of=/dev/[diskN] bs=1m
Step 4 – Booting the USB drive
- Plug the Linux USB drive into the Mac computer.
- Turn off the computer.
- Hold the Option key and turn on the Mac computer.
- You will see the Boot menu on the screen.
- Double-click the USB drive.
- When you see the next set of options and continue with the instructions to finish the process.
If you having any further queries regarding how to create and boot from a linux USB drive on Mac. Click the call button available on the screen.