Burning Your Images

When you download a distribution of Linux you will, hopefully, end up with a few, rather larger, files on your computer. Most commonly, these files will have an ISO extension. It sure would be nice to be able to make something useful out of these files, as our ultimate goal would be to install Linux on a computer.

What is an ISO

The easiest way to think of an ISO file is that it is an exact replica of a CD without the CD. It not only contains the files that are on a CD, but also puts those files in the exact location that they were on the original disc; an ISO is an exact image of a Cd, and can therefore create an exact replica. With an ISO, you can create many copies of an existing CD without ever having the CD in your possession.

Burning Software

The only drawback to ISO's is that you need special software in order to create these CDs. Once you have he ISO and you have the necessary software, making the CDs should be as easy as inserting a blank CD-R into a burner, opening up your file in your ISO capable burning program, and then hitting the burn/record button inside the program. Some of the more common programs to achieve this are as follows:

Windows

Easy CD Creator

Developed by Roxio, Easy CD Creator is an all in one suite that can burn a variety of CD formats. It can burn audio, data, MP3, VCD, SVCD, DVD, and as well as CD images in ISO, and CIF formats. This is probably the most common Windows program for burning CDs despite its often complained about bugs and defects.

Nero

Nero is the second most common program in a Windows environment to burn CDs, and has a ever growing cult following. It can burn most of the same formats that Easy CD Creator ca, while, reportedly, not having any of the bugs or annoying crashes that Easy CD Creator has. Nero can burn audio, data, MP3, VCD, SVCD, miniDVD, as well as CD images in ISO, NRG, and CUE/BIN formats. Nero is developed by Ahead.

Fireburner

Fireburner is a small CD burner. Fireburner, although light-weight, is just the program one needs if they are looking to burn CD images, especially since it has a free 15-day trial in which you can use the software. Along with being able to burn audio, FireBurner can also burn ISO, and CUE/BIN files.

Macintosh OS

Toast

Developed by Roxio, Toast is an all in one suite that can burn a variety of CD formats. Toast, is the Macintosh version of Easy CD Creator to some extent, and you can find most, if not all, of the functionality that its Windows counterpart has. With toast you can burn audio, data, MP3, VCD, SVCD, DVD, as well as CD images in CUE/BIN, DMG, and ISO formats.

WARNING: It is a very common mistake to burn the ISO file as a data CD; this does you no good since all you will have created is a data CD with one file on it (your ISO file). If you program does not recognize that what you are trying to burn an image, explore its file menus for an option that has the words "Image" on them.