

ISO images enable you to burn your own Linux installation disc to use on your own computer or give to someone else. The data within the archive is uncompressed. It is also possible for these images to use the UDF (Universal Disc Format) file system in some cases. In these cases, consider the BIN/CUE image combinations instead. You cannot use the ISO file format to create an image of an audio CD as these do not use a computer file system. You can make an ISO image from any optical media format, such as CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. The ISO file format is a digital archive of the contents of an optical media disc. If you haven't installed a version of Linux, looking for an ISO file to download will likely be your first step. If you've already installed a Linux distribution, chances are you did so using an ISO file.

The image file format has been a popular way of distributing software online since broadband speeds allowed us to do so.
