dd

Make a bootable USB from an ISO and show progress

$ sudo dd if=[path/to/file.iso] of=[/dev/usb_drive] status=progress

$ sudo dd bs=4M conv=fsync if=[/dev/source_drive] of=[/dev/dest_drive]

$ dd bs=100 count=1 if=/dev/urandom of=[path/to/random_file]

$ dd bs=1M count=1024 if=/dev/zero of=[path/to/file_1GB]

$ sudo dd if=[/dev/drive_device] of=[path/to/file.img] status=progress

dd [if=file] [of=file] [bs=bytes] [count=n] [conv=opts] [status=level]

dd converts and copies files at the block level, making it useful for low-level disk operations that bypass filesystem structures. It reads from standard input and writes to standard output by default, but is typically used with if= and of= parameters to specify input and output files or devices.
The tool operates in fixed block sizes (set with bs=), reading and writing data in chunks for efficiency. This block-oriented approach makes dd suitable for creating exact disk images, cloning entire drives, writing bootable USB drives from ISO files, and generating test files of specific sizes.
Common use cases include forensic disk imaging, data backup and restoration, disk benchmarking, and creating files filled with zeros or random data. The status=progress option (added in GNU coreutils 8.24) provides real-time progress information, addressing a long-standing complaint about dd's silence during operation. However, dd provides no safety checks and will overwrite data without confirmation, making it critical to verify the of= parameter before execution.

if=FILE

Read from FILE instead of stdin

Write to FILE instead of stdout

Read and write up to BYTES bytes at a time

Read up to BYTES bytes at a time

Write BYTES bytes at a time

Copy only N input blocks

Skip N input blocks before copying

Skip N output blocks before writing

Conversion options: fsync, notrunc, noerror, sync

Output level: none, noxfer, progress

Input flags: direct, dsync, fullblock, etc.

Output flags: direct, dsync, sync, etc.

Dangerous: dd will overwrite data without warning. Double-check the of= parameter before executing. Using wrong device names can destroy data.

Part of GNU Coreutils. The command name comes from IBM JCL (Job Control Language) where DD stands for "Data Definition". Available since early Unix.

cp(1), dcfldd(1), pv(1)