Some links in this post may be affiliate links. We may get paid if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of these, but without addictional costs for you compared to direct buying.
Raspberry PI Imager: new SD flashing tool from RPI Foundation
Every Raspberry PI project starts always from OS installation with SD card flashing. There are several ways to flash SD image for Raspberry PIs, most common being Balena Etcher and Win32DiskImager. Recently Raspberry PI Foundation released its first Raspberry PI imager to prepare SD cards. Trying it is a must for Raspberry PI lovers.
Install Raspberry PI Imager
Raspberry Pi Imager is available for 3 Platforms: Windows, macOS and Ubuntu. Take it from Raspberry Pi download page and install according to your OS.
Usage
Using Raspberry PI Imager is very simple and intuitive.
After installation, launch RPI Imager:
Click “CHOOSE OS” to select your favourite OS:
Last picture shows you a set of pre-defined OS you can directly download and install in your Raspberry PI. Raspbian Lite can be found inside “Raspbian (other)” submenu. You can also install alternative OS images with last menù selection (Use Custom), by providing pre-downloaded “.img” files.
Once selected your favourite OS, insert SD card from “CHOOSE SD CARD” button:
Finally, “WRITE” button will download selected OS (if not available locally) and install it. Wait for operations to be completed. At installation end, you will be notified as in following picture:
After this, your SD card is ready to be used. You can now remove and use it.
Hi Lawrence,
I can assure that it works on Raspberry PI OS (that is ARM and has it pre-installed, if I remember correctly) and Windows. That’s where I use it. I don’t know about different OSes as I can’t test it. In the tutorial I referred the official download page where you can find the supported platform and OSes, as it depends also on RPI Foundation updates. If you need a different platform, maybe the best way could be asking them if they plan to release a new supported platform
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Cookie
Duration
Description
AWSELBCORS
session
This cookie is used by Elastic Load Balancing from Amazon Web Services to effectively balance load on the servers.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Cookie
Duration
Description
_ga_*
1 year 1 month 4 days
Google Analytics sets this cookie to store and count page views.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Cookie
Duration
Description
__qca
1 year 26 days
The __qca cookie is associated with Quantcast. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly.
_dlt
1 day
Zendesk set this cookie to create a unique ID for the session. This enables the website to collect data on visitor behaviour for statistical purposes.
mc
1 year 1 month
Quantserve sets the mc cookie to track user behaviour on the website anonymously.
rpi-imager does not see sd card on cgrome os 104, AR
rpi imager does not see sd card on chrome os release 104 ARM device.
I read a comment that indicates it does not work on ARM devices.
m
Hi Lawrence,
I can assure that it works on Raspberry PI OS (that is ARM and has it pre-installed, if I remember correctly) and Windows. That’s where I use it. I don’t know about different OSes as I can’t test it. In the tutorial I referred the official download page where you can find the supported platform and OSes, as it depends also on RPI Foundation updates. If you need a different platform, maybe the best way could be asking them if they plan to release a new supported platform