2022-03-21 10:06:08 -04:00
<!--
Title: How to create Debian bootable installer on macOS
Description: Learn how to create Debian bootable installer on macOS.
Author: Sun Knudsen < https: / / github . com / sunknudsen >
Contributors: Sun Knudsen < https: / / github . com / sunknudsen >
Reviewers:
Publication date: 2022-03-20T14:16:12.705Z
Listed: true
-->
# How to create Debian bootable installer on macOS
## Requirements
- macOS computer
- USB flash drive (data will be permanently destroyed)
## Caveats
- When copy/pasting commands that start with `$` , strip out `$` as this character is not part of the command
## Guide
### Step 1: install [Homebrew](https://brew.sh/)
```console
$ /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/master/install.sh)"
$ uname -m | grep arm64 & & echo 'export PATH=$PATH:/opt/homebrew/bin' >> ~/.zshrc & & source ~/.zshrc
```
### Step 2: disable Homebrew analytics
```shell
brew analytics off
```
### Step 3: install dependencies
```shell
brew install gnupg
```
### Step 4: import “Debian CD signing key” PGP public key
```console
$ gpg --keyserver keyring.debian.org --recv-keys 0xDA87E80D6294BE9B
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg: imported: 1
```
### Step 5: set [Debian](https://www.debian.org/) release semver environment variable
> Heads-up: replace `11.2.0` with [latest release](https://www.debian.org/download) semver.
```shell
DEBIAN_RELEASE_SEMVER=11.2.0
```
### Step 6: download latest version of [Debian](https://www.debian.org/), checksum and associated PGP signature
```console
$ cd /tmp
$ curl --fail --location --remote-name https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/debian-${DEBIAN_RELEASE_SEMVER}-amd64-netinst.iso
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 359 100 359 0 0 464 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 464
100 378M 100 378M 0 0 20.6M 0 0:00:18 0:00:18 --:--:-- 23.6M
$ curl --fail --location --remote-name https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/SHA512SUMS
% Total % Received % Xferd Average Speed Time Time Time Current
Dload Upload Total Spent Left Speed
100 494 100 494 0 0 918 0 --:--:-- --:--:-- --:--:-- 918
$ curl --fail --location --remote-name https://cdimage.debian.org/debian-cd/current/amd64/iso-cd/SHA512SUMS.sign
```
### Step 7: verify integrity of `SHA512SUMS`
```console
$ gpg --verify SHA512SUMS.sign
gpg: assuming signed data in 'SHA512SUMS'
gpg: Signature made Sat 18 Dec 2021 03:45:36 PM EST
gpg: using RSA key DF9B9C49EAA9298432589D76DA87E80D6294BE9B
gpg: Good signature from "Debian CD signing key < debian-cd @lists .debian.org > " [unknown]
gpg: WARNING: This key is not certified with a trusted signature!
gpg: There is no indication that the signature belongs to the owner.
Primary key fingerprint: DF9B 9C49 EAA9 2984 3258 9D76 DA87 E80D 6294 BE9B
$ shasum --algorithm 512 --check --ignore-missing SHA512SUMS
debian-11.2.0-amd64-netinst.iso: OK
```
Good signature
👍
OK
👍
### Step 8: create bootable installer
2022-04-10 08:34:52 -04:00
> **WARNING: BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN RUNNING `DD` AS DATA CAN BE PERMANENTLY DESTROYED (BEGINNERS SHOULD CONSIDER USING [BALENAETCHER](https://www.balena.io/etcher/) INSTEAD).**
2022-03-21 10:06:08 -04:00
> Heads-up: run `diskutil list` to find disk ID of USB flash drive to overwrite with bootable installer (`disk4` in the following example).
> Heads-up: replace `diskn` and `rdiskn` with disk ID of microSD card (`disk4` and `rdisk4` in the following example) and `debian-11.2.0-amd64-netinst.iso` with current image.
> Heads-up: please ignore “The disk you attached was not readable by this computer.” error and click “Eject”.
```console
$ diskutil list
/dev/disk0 (internal):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: GUID_partition_scheme 500.3 GB disk0
1: Apple_APFS_ISC 524.3 MB disk0s1
2: Apple_APFS Container disk3 494.4 GB disk0s2
3: Apple_APFS_Recovery 5.4 GB disk0s3
/dev/disk3 (synthesized):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: APFS Container Scheme - +494.4 GB disk3
Physical Store disk0s2
1: APFS Volume Macintosh HD 15.3 GB disk3s1
2: APFS Snapshot com.apple.os.update-... 15.3 GB disk3s1s1
3: APFS Volume Preboot 412.3 MB disk3s2
4: APFS Volume Recovery 807.3 MB disk3s3
5: APFS Volume Data 322.3 GB disk3s5
6: APFS Volume VM 2.1 GB disk3s6
/dev/disk4 (external, physical):
#: TYPE NAME SIZE IDENTIFIER
0: Apple_partition_scheme *32.1 GB disk4
1: Apple_partition_map 4.1 KB disk4s1
2: Apple_HFS 2.7 MB disk4s2
$ sudo diskutil unmount /dev/diskn
disk4 was already unmounted or it has a partitioning scheme so use "diskutil unmountDisk" instead
$ sudo diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskn (if previous step fails)
Unmount of all volumes on disk4 was successful
$ sudo dd bs=1m if=debian-${DEBIAN_RELEASE_SEMVER}-amd64-netinst.iso of=/dev/rdisk4
378+0 records in
378+0 records out
396361728 bytes transferred in 15.700749 secs (25244766 bytes/sec)
```
👍
