[SOLVED] Do we need Etcher because the linux distro download sites don't offer an "Image flasher" like Windows site does?

[I do not know 1 2 3]

I'm trying to try out linux, and I was just wondering, are these tools (e.g. Etcher) like a setup to a game or program you just installed on your device? 💀
Excuse me if I'm dumb

 

[TerryLaze]

No it's just a image flasher and you can use whatever you are used to, etcher just has a lot of checks so you are sure everything is written correctly.

 

[JWNoctis]

They do the same thing as CD/DVD burner softwares of old: Write installation files to some external media. Setup is another step away, when you boot from said external media.

Microsoft used to offer ISO images for Windows installation, but I don't think they do that anymore. Their tool does basically the same thing except it also downloads the image for you.

Raspberry Pi has something similar for their SBCs, except they really do function like traditional software setup in their case: the media they write to is the same media the system will run off of. It's the same if you use Etcher to write their disk image file to your SD card/ USB drive instead.

 

[ComplexNumbers]

It's simple to explain. In the past, people downloaded operating systems from the internet as an iso/img file. Then they burned this iso/img file to a CD/DVD and from the CD/DVD they could boot the operating system on their PC and use a live session or install the system.

CD/DVD has become less and less popular and these iso/img files are increasingly being written to a USB stick. Then you insert the USB stick into the PC, you change the necessary BIOS settings so that the USB stick is bootable, and you no longer need a CD/DVD.

Fedora is one of the first distros to present a 'Fedora Media Writer' app directly on its download page. This is an equivalent of balenaEtcher and it is indeed more convenient for new users if they see this kind of tool right away on the download page of the operating system.

 

[I do not know 1 2 3]

Thank you!