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Mount an ISO image on Linux

mount -o loop attaches an ISO to a loop device so its files are readable from a normal directory — no burning or extracting required.

Linuxfilesystemdisk-imagemountMedium risk
Create a mountpoint (`sudo mkdir -p /mnt/iso`), then run `sudo mount -o loop file.iso /mnt/iso`; read the files, then `sudo umount /mnt/iso`.

01Command

Command
$ sudo mount -o loop ubuntu-24.04.iso /mnt/iso

02What it does

The loop device presents the ISO (or any raw disk image, e.g. a Raspberry Pi .img) as a block device, and mount reads the filesystem inside. ISO 9660 is read-only, so nothing inside can be changed. Without root you can achieve the same in GNOME Files or via `udisksctl loop-setup -f file.iso`.

03Risk

RiskMedium risk
Requirementsroot required; loop device support (standard kernel)
!Warning: For a raw disk image containing partitions, use `udisksctl loop-setup` (auto-mounts each partition) or `mount -o loop,offset=<bytes>` with the offset from `fdisk -l`.

04Undo

Undo
$ sudo umount /mnt/iso

05Sources

  • mount(8) — mount a filesystem
    man7.org · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: describes the loop option for mounting image files
  • mount(8)
    Debian · community · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: loop mount usage and examples

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: Files & Folders