BioKids comes as an ISO file. To install it, you first write that file to a USB stick; copying it onto the stick is not enough. A small program does it for you in a few clicks.
~3.3 GB
8 GB or more
Before you start
- A USB stick of 8 GB or more. Everything on it will be erased, so copy anything important off it first.
- The BioKids ISO (
biokids-2.0.0-amd64.hybrid.iso) from the download page. - Optionally, check its SHA256. A broken download causes strange errors halfway through installing.
Write the stick
Pick the computer you are using now. The easiest tool is balenaEtcher: the same three steps on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Windows
Download and open Etcher
Download the Windows version from etcher.balena.io and install it. It is free.
Choose the ISO and the stick, then flash
Flash from file picks the ISO, Select target picks the USB stick, then press Flash! Say Yes if Windows asks for permission.
Flash from filebiokids-2.0.0-amd64.hybrid.isoSelect targetUSB Flash Disk · 8 GBFlash!writes, then verifiesIllustration balenaEtcher's three steps: file, target, flash. Writing and the check after it take 5–15 minutes, depending on the stick. When you see "Flash Complete!", you can take the stick out.
Or use Rufus (DD mode)
Rufus works too, with one thing to watch: when you press Start, an "ISOHybrid image detected" window appears. Choose Write in DD Image mode there.
The image you have selected is an 'ISOHybrid' image…
Write in ISO Image mode (Recommended)Write in DD Image modeIllustration When Rufus asks, choose DD mode. A stick written in ISO mode may not start.
macOS
Download Etcher
Download the macOS version from etcher.balena.io and drag it to Applications. If macOS asks on first launch, press Open.
Flash in three steps
Flash from file → the ISO, Select target → the USB stick, then Flash! It asks for your Mac password; that is normal.
Ignore the warning
When it is done, macOS may say "The disk you attached was not readable by this computer". That is expected: the stick is now made to start a PC. Press Eject.
Linux
Find the stick's name
Plug the stick in and list the disks in a terminal. Recognise yours by its size (for example
sdb, 7.5G).lsblk -d -o NAME,SIZE,MODELWrite it with dd
Replace
sdXwith your stick's name. Picking the wrong disk erases that disk, so look twice.sudo dd if=biokids-2.0.0-amd64.hybrid.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress conv=fsyncRather not use a terminal? Etcher works on Linux too, and so does Restore Disk Image in GNOME Disks.
What next?
The stick is ready. Now you start the computer from it:
- If nothing on the computer needs to be kept: the install guide.
- If you want to keep Windows: install beside Windows.
- To try it first, you do not even need the stick: try it in VirtualBox.
Something wrong?
Etcher says "Something went wrong"
It is usually the stick or the file. Check the ISO's SHA256, and try another USB port or another stick. Some cheap sticks say 8 GB but hold less.
Windows wants me to format the stick
Do not format it; close the window. Windows cannot read the stick because it is now prepared for Linux, which means the writing worked.
Can I use the stick for other things afterwards?
Yes. After installing, format it again in Windows' Disk Management, or with Rufus or Etcher, and use it as before.
