# Write a FireBee Image to a CF-Card using Balena Etcher (Windows, macOS, Linux)
this little tutorial will guide you on writing a HD-Image containing the FireBee Setup to a Compact Flash Card which is used as a harddisk replacement. Here's how you can do that.

   > ⚠ **A word of warning. The entire CF-Card will be erased and overwritten. If you have important files on it, please make a backup first!**

## Requirements
✔ **A CompactFlash (CF) card** 16GB or 32GB 
✔ **CF card reader** (USB adapter or built-in reader)
✔ **The FireBee Image** to be written to the CF card
✔ **A computer running Windows, macOS, or Linux**
✔ **Balena Etcher** installed ([Download: https://www.balena.io/etcher/](https://www.balena.io/etcher/))

   > ❗ Please note! Modern CFFAST or CFexpress are not supported and therefore will not work with the FireBee!

# 1. Download & Install Balena Etcher

### Windows
1. Go to the official **Balena Etcher** website: 🔗 [https://www.balena.io/etcher/](https://www.balena.io/etcher/)
2. Download the **Windows version** (`.exe` file).
3. Run the installer and follow the instructions.
4. Once installed, launch **Balena Etcher**.

### macOS
1. Go to the official **Balena Etcher** website: 🔗 [https://www.balena.io/etcher/](https://www.balena.io/etcher/)
2. Download the **macOS version** (`.dmg` file).
3. Open the **.dmg** file and drag the **Etcher icon** to the **Applications folder**.
4. Launch Balena Etcher from the Applications folder.

   > ⚠ **If you get a security warning**, go to **System Preferences > Security & Privacy** and allow the application to run.

### Linux
1. Go to the official **Balena Etcher** website: 🔗 [https://www.balena.io/etcher/](https://www.balena.io/etcher/)
1. Download the appropriate package for your system (`.deb`) for Debian based system or (`.rpm`) for Red Hat based systems
2. Install the package you have downloaded previously accordingly to the Etcher Wiki [https://github.com/balena-io/etcher#debian-and-ubuntu-based-package-repository-gnulinux-x86x64](https://github.com/balena-io/etcher#debian-and-ubuntu-based-package-repository-gnulinux-x86x64)
3. Once installed, launch **Balena Etcher**.

---

# 2. Prepare the CompactFlash Card

### Windows
1. **Insert the CF card** into your **card reader**.
2. **Check if Windows detects the card:**
   - Open **File Explorer** and check for a new drive (e.g., **E:**).
   - If the CF card is not detected, open **Disk Management** (`diskmgmt.msc`).

### macOS
1. **Insert the CF card** into your **card reader**.
2. **Check if the CF card is recognized:**
   - Open **Disk Utility** (`Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility`).

### Linux
1. **Insert the CF card** into your **card reader**.
2. **Check if the CF card is recognized:**
   - As long as the card holds a valid FAT32, FAT16 filesystem contains, a File Explorer is opening a new windows and show the content of the drive

---

# 3. Write the ISO File to the CF Card Using Balena Etcher

### **1. Start Balena Etcher**
- Open **Balena Etcher** on your system.

### **2. Select the ISO File**
- Click **"Flash from file"** and select the downloaded **FireBee image**.

### **3. Choose the CF Card as the Target**
- Click **"Select target"** and pick the **CompactFlash card** from the list.
  > ⚠ **Be careful** not to select the wrong drive, as all data will be erased!

### **4. Start the Flashing Process**
- Click **"Flash!"** to begin writing the ISO image to the CF card.
- **Wait for the process to complete** (this may take several minutes).

---

# 4. Verify & Finalize the Process
✔ **Balena Etcher will automatically verify** the written data to ensure accuracy.
✔ Once completed, you can safely **eject the CF card**.

### **Safely Remove the CF Card**
✔ **Windows**: Click the **USB icon** in the taskbar and select **"Eject"**.
✔ **macOS**: Drag the CF card icon to the **Trash** or click **"Eject"** in Finder.
✔ **Linux**: Run one of the following commands according to your system:
   - Open a terminal and type:
     ```bash
     lsblk
     ```
     or
     ```bash
     fdisk -l
     ```
   - Identify the correct device (e.g., `/dev/sdb`) and the type:
   ```bash
   sudo umount /dev/sdX
   ```