How to Install balenaEtcher on Linux Mint 21 or 20

balenaEtcher has carved its niche as a go-to tool for crafting bootable USB drives and SD cards, especially for those on Linux Mint-based distributions. Its ascendancy in bootable media creation tools can be attributed to its user-centric design, reliability, and features that streamline the process. While there are other commendable tools like Ventoy and Rufus, balenaEtcher stands out with its sleek interface, cross-platform adaptability, and the promise of regular updates, courtesy of its open-source foundation. If you’re gearing up to install balenaEtcher on Linux Mint 21 or 20, this guide will be your roadmap.

Here’s a snapshot of what balenaEtcher brings to the table:

• Cross-Platform Versatility: Catering to a diverse user base, balenaEtcher extends its support across Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Intuitive User Experience: With a straightforward drag-and-drop mechanism, balenaEtcher ensures that creating bootable media is hassle-free.
• Broad File System Support: Whether ISO, IMG, or DMG, balenaEtcher is equipped to handle many file systems, ensuring compatibility with various operating systems.
• Open-Source Commitment: Being open-source, balenaEtcher is in a perpetual state of evolution, with regular feature enhancements and bug resolutions.
• Data Verification: Post the writing process, balenaEtcher undertakes a verification step, ensuring the integrity and reliability of the data on the media.
• Multi-Drive Flashing: BalenaEtcher’s capability to flash multiple drives concurrently is a significant time-saver for those seeking efficiency.

With the backdrop set, let’s navigate through the detailed procedure to install balenaEtcher on Linux Mint by fetching the .deb file directly from the balenaEtcher GitHub release page.

Step 1: Update Linux Mint

Before beginning the tutorial, it is recommended to make sure your system has the latest updates and packages installed.

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Download the balenaEtcher .deb file

The first task is to acquire the Debian package, also known as a .deb file, for balenaEtcher, designed to run on Linux Mint. BalenaEtcher’s APT and RPM repositories are not currently being maintained due to the costs involved. This scenario requires you to repeat this manual setup to update balenaEtcher on your Linux Mint system.

Go to the official release page of balenaEtcher to download the latest .deb file. You can utilize the ‘wget’ command to make this process easier. Here’s how the command should look:

wget https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/vx.x.x/balena-etcher_x.x.x_amd64.deb

You should replace “x.x.x” with the actual version number of the balenaEtcher release you want to download. The balenaEtcher software frequently receives updates, so check the release page for the most recent download link.

After replacing the placeholders with the actual version number, your command will look similar to this:

wget https://github.com/balena-io/etcher/releases/download/v1.18.11/balena-etcher_1.18.11_amd64.deb

Please note that this is just a sample. Be sure to replace “v1.18.11” with the current version number found on the balenaEtcher releases page.

Step 3: Install balenaEtcher

In this section, we’ll install balenaEtcher on your Linux Mint system. This involves running a specific command in the terminal, and it looks something like this:

sudo dpkg -i balena*

Alternatively, you can utilize the full path of the .deb file you’ve downloaded. Here’s how the command would appear:

sudo dpkg -i balena-etcher_1.18.11_amd64.deb

Remember to replace “1.18.11” with the actual version number of the Debian package you downloaded earlier.

Navigating Installation Errors

During installation, you might encounter errors related to missing dependencies. The output might look similar to this:

Selecting previously unselected package balena-etcher.
(Reading database ... 156295 files and directories currently installed.)
Preparing to unpack balena-etcher_1.18.11_amd64.deb ...
Unpacking balena-etcher (1.18.11) ...
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of balena-etcher:
 balena-etcher depends on gconf-service; however:
  Package gconf-service is not installed.
 balena-etcher depends on gconf2; however:
  Package gconf2 is not installed.
 balena-etcher depends on libgconf-2-4; however:
  Package libgconf-2-4 is not installed.
 balena-etcher depends on libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0; however:
  Package libgdk-pixbuf2.0-0 is not installed.

Don’t worry if you encounter these error messages; they are standard and easy to solve. They indicate that specific dependencies are missing, which balenaEtcher requires to operate optimally.

Resolving Installation Dependencies

Resolving these dependency errors involves using the package management utility in Debian, apt. The --fix-broken install option is handy in this scenario as it automatically handles these dependencies.

Here’s how you can run this command:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

After running this command, the missing dependencies should be installed automatically. Following that, you should re-run the initial installation command using dpkg. This resolves any dependency issues, allowing the installation process to proceed successfully.

Step 4: Launch balenaEtcher

With the successful installation of balenaEtcher, you can now launch the application on your desktop. To do so, follow the path in your system’s menu or search for “balenaEtcher” in your application search bar and click the icon to open the program.

Taskbar > Accessories > balenaEtcher.

With balenaEtcher installed on your Linux Mint system, you are now equipped with a powerful and user-friendly tool for creating bootable USB drives. You can quickly flash operating system images to your USB drive or SD card, allowing you to create a backup, install a new operating system, or troubleshoot problems on your computer. Selecting the correct image file, selecting the target drive, and clicking the Flash button to start the process is essential.

To get the most out of balenaEtcher, it’s a good idea to format your drive to a supported file system and ensure it has enough storage capacity to accommodate the image file. Remember to double-check the target drive selection, as writing to the wrong drive could result in data loss. With these tips, you can use balenaEtcher and easily create bootable media.

Managing balenaEtcher on Linux Mint

Remove (Uninstall) balenaEtcher

To remove balenaEtcher, the process is relatively simple. To begin, use the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt remove balena-etcher

Wrapping Up

In this guide, we have walked through the step-by-step process of installing balenaEtcher on Linux Mint 21 or 20, ranging from system prerequisites to manually downloading the Debian package to resolving potential dependency issues during installation. This knowledge ensures you are well-equipped to tackle any installation roadblocks. Remember, if you encounter difficulties, revisit the steps outlined in this guide, and don’t hesitate to consult the official documentation. This will help achieve a seamless installation process and quickly get you started with balenaEtcher.