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Write Raspberry Pi OS on SD Card

This guide explains how to write Raspberry Pi OS onto an SD card using the dd command-line tool.
While this method is straightforward, it requires careful attention as incorrect usage can lead to data loss.

Warning: Using dd incorrectly can overwrite the wrong drive and cause permanent data loss. Double-check your target device before proceeding.

The Linux distribution used was Debian 12 (Bookworm), but it should work on any Linux distribution with the dd tool available.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • A compatible SD card with a capacity above the Raspberry Pi OS image size
  • The Raspberry Pi OS image downloaded
  • Administrative (sudo) privileges
  • Basic Linux command line knowledge

Finding Your SD Card

1. First option

First, identify your SD card's device name:

lsblk

Example output:

NAME        MAJ:MIN RM   SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINTS
sda           8:0    0 224.6G  0 disk
├─sda1        8:1    0   476M  0 part /boot/efi
└─sda2        8:2    0 224.1G  0 part /
sdc           8:32   1   7.2G  0 disk
├─sdc1        8:33   1   256M  0 part
└─sdc2        8:34   1   1.6G  0 part

In this example:

  • /dev/sda is the system drive
  • /dev/sdc is the SD card

2. Second option

For additional information, you can use:

sudo parted -l

On a Debian system, if parted command is not available, you can install it using:

sudo apt install parted -y

Example output:

Model: ATA INTEL SSDSC2BW12 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 120GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size   Type     File system  Flags
 1      1049kB  120GB  120GB  primary  ext4         boot

Model: ATA KINGSTON SVP200S (scsi)
Disk /dev/sdc: 60GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: gpt
Disk Flags: 

Number  Start   End    Size   File system  Name     Flags
 1      1049kB  60GB  60GB  ext4         primary

Writing the Image

Once you've identified your SD card, use dd to write the image:

sudo dd if=/path/of/the/image/raspios-bullseye-armhf-lite.img of=/dev/sdc bs=1024 status=progress

Command breakdown:

  • if= specifies the input file (Raspberry Pi OS image)
  • of= specifies the output device (SD card)
  • bs=1024 sets the block size to 1024 bytes
  • status=progress shows the writing progress

Successful write output example:

1957872640 bytes (2.0 GB, 1.8 GiB) copied, 730 s, 2.7 MB/s 
1921024+0 records in
1921024+0 records out
1967128576 bytes (2.0 GB, 1.8 GiB) copied, 837.249 s, 2.3 MB/s

Best Practices

  1. Always verify the device name before writing
  2. Use a system with minimal connected drives to avoid mistakes
  3. Back up any important data before proceeding
  4. Wait for the command to complete before removing the SD card

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues:

  • Verify you have sufficient permissions
  • Check that the SD card isn't mounted
  • Ensure the image file path is correct
  • Verify the SD card is properly connected

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