Creating Bootable USB Media

You need a 4 GB+ stick; everything on it will be erased.

Linux

dd (the classic)

lsblk -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,MOUNTPOINT      # identify stick! (e.g., sdb)
sudo dd if=AcreetionOS-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsync
sync
of= targets the whole device (/dev/sdb), never a partition (/dev/sdb1), and absolutely not your disk. Triple-check lsblk.

GUI tools

  • Popsicle / balenaEtcher from repos or Flatpak.

  • Acreetion Media Writer — our own writer, handles verification automatically.

Ventoy (multi-ISO sticks)

Install Ventoy once, then just copy the ISO file onto the stick — boot menu lists it. Great for keeping several testers around.

Windows

  • Rufus — select the ISO, GPT/UEFI (or MBR/BIOS to match target machine), DD-mode when prompted about ISOHybrid.

  • balenaEtcher — dead simple flash-and-verify.

After writing

The stick may look "empty" in Explorer — normal; the filesystem is ISO9660. Eject cleanly, then test-boot it per Firmware.

Write failures & fixes

Symptom Fix

Rufus stuck at 99%

Let it finish — fsync takes a while on slow sticks

"Failed to sync after 10 retries"

Stick is dying; try another port/stick

Boots but hangs at loading initramfs

Re-write with conv=fsync, avoid USB hubs

Machine ignores stick entirely

Firmware section: Firmware Settings: BIOS & UEFI