Fedora Media Writer is a free, open source graphical application that helps you create a live USB with the Fedora operating system. A live USB allows you to run Fedora from a USB drive without installing it on your computer. It's useful for testing Fedora or for installing it on your computer later if you decide you like it. In this guide, we will learn how to install and use Fedora Media Writer to create Fedora bootable USB in Linux.
Table of Contents
Features
Fedora Media Writer (FMW) has several features and advantages, particularly for those looking to create Fedora bootable USB drives, making it a preferred choice for many users, especially those new to Fedora or Linux in general.
Here's what makes it special:
- Designed Specifically for Fedora: Fedora Media Writer is tailored for Fedora distributions. This ensures high compatibility and a smooth experience when creating Fedora live USBs.
- User-Friendly Interface: It has a simple, intuitive interface, making it very accessible for users who are not very tech-savvy or are new to creating live USBs.
- Automatic Fedora Download: Unlike many other tools, Fedora Media Writer can directly download the latest version of Fedora Workstation or Fedora Spins, ensuring you always get the newest release without having to manually download an ISO file.
- Support for Different Fedora Versions: It supports various Fedora versions, including Workstation, Server, and different Spins (like KDE, XFCE, etc.), giving users a range of options to choose from within the tool.
- Verification of Downloaded Images: It automatically verifies the downloaded Fedora image for integrity and authenticity, ensuring that the file is not corrupted and is secure.
- Multi-platform Support: Fedora Media Writer is available for multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it a versatile tool for users on different platforms.
- Easy to Update: If you already have Fedora installed, Fedora Media Writer can help in creating a bootable media for the latest version, facilitating an easy upgrade process.
- Official Fedora Project Tool: Being an official tool of the Fedora Project, it's well-maintained, with regular updates and good community support.
While there are many USB boot creation tools available, such as Etcher, Popsicle, or Ventoy, which offer broader functionality with various Linux distributions and operating systems, Fedora Media Writer stands out for its Fedora-specific optimization, user-friendly approach, and integration with Fedora's ecosystem.
Does Fedora Media Writer Support other ISOs?
Yes! It is also possible to use Fedora Media Writer to write other bootable ISOs from your local disk, not just Fedora images. However, there are a few important points to keep in mind:
- Primary Focus on Fedora: While Fedora Media Writer is capable of writing other ISOs, its primary design and testing focus on Fedora images. This means it's optimized for and guaranteed to work well with Fedora distributions.
- Limited Testing with Non-Fedora ISOs: Since the tool is mainly tested with Fedora images, its compatibility and performance with other ISOs (like Debian, Ubuntu, Windows, etc.) are not guaranteed. It might work well, but there could also be issues or limitations that you wouldn't encounter with Fedora ISOs.
- User Experience May Vary: Depending on the non-Fedora ISO you're using, your experience might vary. Some ISOs may work seamlessly, while others may encounter problems during the creation process or when booting.
- Potential for New Features: Fedora Media Writer is an actively maintained tool, so there's always the potential for new features and broader compatibility in future versions.
In summary, while Fedora Media Writer can technically write other bootable ISOs, its primary purpose and testing are centered around Fedora images. For the best experience with non-Fedora ISOs, you might consider using other well-known bootable USB creation tools.
Install Fedora Media Writer
Installing Fedora Media Writer on a Linux system is relatively straightforward.
For Fedora Users:
If you're already using Fedora, Fedora Media Writer is available in the official repositories. You can install it using the following steps:
1. Press Ctrl
+ Alt
+ T
to open the terminal.
2. Run the following command to ensure all your system packages are up to date.
$ sudo dnf update
3. Install Fedora Media Writer using command:
$ sudo dnf install mediawriter
Once installed, you can start Fedora Media Writer from your applications menu or by typing mediawriter
in the terminal.
For Other Linux Distributions:
For other Linux distributions, such as Debian, Ubuntu, etc., you might need to use a Flatpak to install Fedora Media Writer.
1. Install Flatpak (if not already installed):
On Arch Linux and its variants like EndeavourOS and Manjaro Linux, run:
$ sudo pacman -S flatpak
On Debian, Ubuntu and its derivatives:
$ sudo apt install flatpak
On openSUSE Tumbleweed, Flatpak can be installed using Zypper:
$ sudo zypper install flatpak
For other Linux distributions, refer our Flatpak installation guide.
2. Add the Flathub Repository (if not already added):
Flathub is the main repository for Flatpak apps. You can add it with command:
$ sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://dl.flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo
3. Install Fedora Media Writer:
After adding Flatphub repository, run the following command to install Fedora Media Writer:
$ flatpak install flathub org.fedoraproject.MediaWriter
4. Run Fedora Media Writer:
Once installed, you can start Fedora Media Writer from your applications menu or by running flatpak run org.fedoraproject.MediaWriter
in the terminal.
After installation, you can use Fedora Media Writer to create a Fedora live USB or for other ISOs.
Create Fedora Bootable Live USB using Fedora Media Writer
Here's how you can use Fedora Media Writer to create a live USB with Fedora Linux:
1. Insert a USB Drive
Plug in a USB flash drive into an available USB port on your computer. Make sure it has enough space to hold the Fedora image, which is typically a few gigabytes.
2. Open Fedora Media Writer
Launch the Fedora Media Writer application. This is how Fedora Media Writer looks like:
As you see in the above screenshot, Fedora Media Writer provides options to download the Fedora ISO automatically or choose the ISO from the local disk. I go with automatic download option.
3. Select Fedora Version
In the Fedora Media Writer, you'll see a list of available Fedora versions.
Fedora Media Writer offers a wide range of Fedora editions, spins, and labs to choose from. This variety caters to different user needs and preferences.
Choose the one you want to create a live USB for. This could be the latest version or a specific release you prefer.
4. Select USB Drive
Fedora Media Writer should automatically choose the latest Fedora version (E.g. 39), hardware architecture (E.g. Intel/AMD 64bit). You can change these as per your requirement.
It also should automatically detect the USB drive you inserted. If it doesn't, make sure the correct USB drive is selected in the drop-down menu.
If you want to delete the ISO after writing it to the USB, check the box that says "Delete download after writing".
5. Start Writing
Click on the "Download & Write" button. You will be prompted to enter your sudo password. This will begin the process of downloading the Fedora image and writing it to your USB drive. It may take some time, so be patient.
After downloading the Fedora ISO image, it will start writing the ISO to the USB drive.
6. Wait for Completion
Once the process is complete, Fedora Media Writer will let you know. Click on the Finish button to complete the Fedora live USB creation process. Your live USB with Fedora is now ready to use!
7. Eject the USB
Safely eject the USB drive from your computer.
8. Boot from the Fedora Live USB
To use Fedora from the live USB, you'll need to restart your computer and boot from the USB drive. You can usually do this by pressing a specific key (like F12 or Del) during startup to access the boot menu. Select the USB drive from the list, and Fedora should start running.
That's it! You've successfully created a live USB with Fedora using Fedora Media Writer. You can now explore Fedora or even install it on your computer if you decide you want to keep it permanently.
Restore USB Drive to Factory Settings
To remove the Fedora installation from your USB drive and reclaim all available on your drive, it has to be restored to its factory settings.
You can do it either by manually formatting the drive or use the Fedora Media Writer to easily restore the USB drive to its factory settings. Let us see how to do it using Fedora Media Writer.
1. Plug in the USB drive and launch Fedora Media Writer application.
2. Choose the Restore option and click Next.
3. Click the Restore button to confirm.
This will wipe the Fedora installation from your USB drive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A: Fedora Media Writer is a graphical tool designed to create live USBs of Fedora. It allows users to easily download and flash Fedora distributions onto a USB drive, making it bootable.
A: Fedora Media Writer is available for Linux, macOS, and Windows. This makes it a versatile tool for users across different platforms.
A: You can download official Fedora editions (Workstation, Server, IoT), Emerging Editions (like Fedora Silverblue, Fedora Kinoite), Spins (including KDE Plasma, XFCE, LXDE), and Labs (such as Fedora Astronomy, Scientific, Security).
A: Yes, Fedora Media Writer can write other bootable ISOs from your local disk, but it's primarily tested with Fedora images. Performance with non-Fedora ISOs isn't guaranteed.
A: No, Fedora Media Writer is designed to create single-boot live USBs and does not support the creation of multi-boot USB drives.
A: For Fedora users, it can be installed directly from the repositories using sudo dnf install mediawriter
. For other Linux distributions, it's available as a Flatpak package.
A: Yes, it's a safe tool developed by the Fedora Project. It also verifies the downloaded Fedora images for integrity and security.
A: An internet connection is required to download Fedora distributions through the tool. However, if you already have an ISO file, you can use it offline to create the live USB.
A: It's recommended to have a USB drive with at least 4GB of space, but more might be needed depending on the Fedora version or other ISOs you are using.
A: Yes, the live USB created with Fedora Media Writer can be used to try Fedora without installing it or to install Fedora on your computer.
A: No, using a live USB does not affect the files on your computer, unless you choose to install Fedora onto your hard drive.
Conclusion
Fedora Media Writer is a good choice for creating live USB drives for Fedora Linux. It is lightweight, easy to use, and well-supported. It's easy to use and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Using Fedora Media Writer, you can download different versions of Fedora, like the Workstation, Server, or other special versions. While it's mainly for Fedora, you can also use it with other ISO files, but it works best with Fedora.
The only caveat is it doesn't support mult-boot USB creation yet. Fedora Media Writer is primarily designed for creating single-boot live USBs of Fedora and does not natively support the creation of multi-boot USB drives.
For users looking for a more general-purpose tool that supports a wide range of ISOs and operating systems with multi-boot, Ventoy might be more suitable.
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