How to install Etcher on Ubuntu 20.04 – A USB image writer for Linux

Etcher is a free and open source USB image writer for Microsoft Windows, Linux and macOS. Regardless of which Operating System you use Etcher can write .img, .iso and .zip files to SD cards and USB drives.

If you often try out new Linux distros then you will know how important it is to have a reliable flashing tool and Etcher is just that. The main interface is simple to understand. Just run the application and walks you though the 3 step process of how to flash an .iso to USB.

Open the app -> Select an image -> select a drive then hit the Flash button. Thats it.

Key Features of Etcher

• Open Source
• Cross-Platform application available for Microsoft Windows, macOS and Linux.
• Simultaneous writing for multiple drives.

This article explains two methods of installing Etcher on Ubuntu 20.04.

Choose the installation method that is most appropriate for your environment.

Method 1: Installing Etcher via AppImage

Before installation let’s understand what is AppImage.

What is AppImage?

We have .deb packages for Debian/Ubuntu based Linux distributions and .rpm for Fedora/SUSE based Linux distributions.

While these packages provide a convenient way of installing software to their respective distribution users, it is not the most convenient for the application developer.

The developers have to create multiple packages for multiple distributions. This is where AppImage comes into picture. AppImage is a universal software package format.

By packaging the software in AppImage, the developer provides just one file to rule them all. End user can use it in most modern Linux distributions.

Step #1

Click on following button to download the latest stable version of Etcher AppImage executable file for Linux.

You can also download the Etcher AppImage from its official Github Page.

Step #2

The downloaded file name would be something like: balenaEtcher-1.7.7-x64.AppImage.

By default, the downloaded AppImage file won’t have the execution permission. You will have to change the permission on the file to make it executable and You don’t need root privilege to do that.

Now type the following command to make the AppImage executable.

$ chmod u+x balenaEtcher-1.7.7-x64.AppImage

Step #3

Once you have made the AppImage file executable, just double click on it to run it Or run the following command to install through terminal.

$ ./balenaEtcher-1.7.7-x64.AppImage

That’s It.

Method 2: Installing Etcher using deb package

Etcher has provided a repo for Debian and Ubuntu 16.04+ operating systems. Refer the following steps to install the application using deb package.

Prerequisite:

First, type the following command to install curl and allow apt over HTTPS.

$ sudo apt install apt-transport-https curl

Step #1

Add Etcher repository.

$ curl -1sLf \
   'https://dl.cloudsmith.io/public/balena/etcher/setup.deb.sh' \
   | sudo -E bash

Step #2

Now type the following command to Update apt and install the Etcher package.

$ sudo apt update && sudo apt install balena-etcher-electron

That’s it, Etcher has been installed on your Ubuntu System, and you can start using it.

Since the Etcher repository is added to the system, your installed Etcher version will be updated when you update your Ubuntu system.

Starting Etcher

In the Activities search bar type “Etcher” and click on the icon to launch the application.

Etcher User Interface:

How to Uninstall Etcher from Ubuntu 20.04

For some reason, If you want to uninstall Etcher, refer following methods.

Method #1

If you have installed the Etcher application via AppImage:

Since the software is never installed, there is no need of uninstalling it. Just delete the associated Etcher file and your software is removed from the system.

Method #2

If you have installed the appication via .deb package then uninstall by running the below command:

$ sudo apt-get remove balena-etcher-electron
$ rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/balena-etcher.list

Conclusion

I hope that now you have a good understanding of How to install Etcher on Ubuntu 20.04 LTS Focal Fossa.

If anyone does have any questions about what we covered in this guide then feel free to ask in the comment section below and I will do my best to answer those.