EXPLAIN: What is an ISO File?

Most GNU/Linux distributions are offered in ISO format. Offering an entire GNU/Linux distribution in a single ISO file is convenient for downloading. This is a file with an .iso extension such as KANOTIX-2005-04-LITE-RC11.iso

The name ISO simply refers to the parricular ISO standard that refers to the file format to be used to create these files. The standard is required in order to ensure that every ISO burning application out there can deal with the ISO file.

It’s probably easiest to think of an ISO file like a ZIP. It is essentially one file that has many files and directories contained within it. When the proper software is applied to it, the file structure reassembles iself. Almost all GNU/Linux ISO files are meant to be burned to a CD to make an installable or Live CD of the distribution. Therefore, in this case, the proper software is a CD or DVD recording application such as Nero Burning ROM or K3B.

You cannot simply burn an ISO file to a disk or you will just end up with the ISO file on the disk rather than the properly reassembled directory structure. Your burning software must be aware of what an ISO file is and know how to burn it.