How to use the command isoinfo (with examples)

Isoinfo is a utility program that can be used to dump and verify ISO disk images. It provides various functionalities for working with ISO images, such as listing files, extracting specific files, and displaying header information.

Use case 1: List all the files included in an ISO image

Code:

isoinfo -f -i path/to/image.iso

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to get a complete list of all the files included in an ISO image. It can help you in determining the content of the ISO image and locating specific files within it.

Explanation:

• isoinfo is the command itself.
• -f is the option used to list all the files in the ISO image.
• -i path/to/image.iso specifies the path to the ISO image you want to analyze.

Example output:

file1.txt
folder1/file2.txt
folder1/folder2/file3.txt

Use case 2: Extract a specific file from an ISO image and send it out stdout

Code:

isoinfo -i path/to/image.iso -x /PATH/TO/FILE/INSIDE/ISO.EXT

Motivation: Extracting a specific file from an ISO image and sending it to stdout can be useful when you want to retrieve a file from an ISO image without actually mounting or extracting the entire image. It allows for quick file retrieval and minimizes unnecessary disk space usage.

Explanation:

• isoinfo is the command itself.
• -i path/to/image.iso specifies the path to the ISO image you want to extract the file from.
• -x /PATH/TO/FILE/INSIDE/ISO.EXT is the path to the file you want to extract within the ISO image.

Example output:

Content of the extracted file is displayed on stdout.

Use case 3: Show header information for an ISO disk image

Code:

isoinfo -d -i path/to/image.iso

Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to obtain information about the ISO disk image, such as the volume name, publisher, creation date, and more. It can help you in understanding the characteristics and attributes of the ISO image.

Explanation:

• isoinfo is the command itself.
• -d is the option used to display the header information of the ISO image.
• -i path/to/image.iso specifies the path to the ISO image you want to analyze.

Example output:

Volume size is: 2048
Volume space size is: 2048
El Torito VD version 1 found, boot catalog is in sector 20
NO Joliet present
Rock Ridge signatures version 1 found
Eltorito partition FS: 'ISO9660', name: 'ISO', type 0x00
Rock Ridge signatures version 1 found

Conclusion:

Isoinfo is a powerful command-line tool for working with ISO images. It provides a range of functionalities, including listing files, extracting specific files, and displaying header information. With the help of isoinfo, you can efficiently analyze, retrieve, and understand the contents of ISO disk images.