daniel:// stenberg://2d ago
A random guy telling the world how to install some new software. An illustration.
Show threadTim Chase2d ago

@bagder @jpmens

Pshaw, real professionals use

$ curl -s $URL | sudo dd of=/dev/sda1 bs=1m

😆

Show threadJP Mens

@gumnos I found your blog: https://astrid.tech/2026/03/24/0/curl-to-dev-sda/

@bagder

curl > /dev/sda

How I made a Linux distro that runs `wget | dd`

astrid dot tech
Mar 24 at 2:37pmWeb
Show threadTim Chase2d ago

@jpmens

Hah, that crossed my feed earlier this morning making it feel all the funnier.

However I've used this technique in the past when a VPS provider didn't let me insert an ISO boot image for my own BSD-install purposes. Used a file-backed md(4)-type device as the disk-image, installed to that, unmounted, rebooted the VPS to rescue mode, then something like

$ gzip -9 < freebsd.img | ssh root@$VPSIP 'gunzip > /dev/sda2'

and it worked like a charm.

And since I was in control of the sending & receiving sides and the link was over ssh, I didn't have any concerns about it.

Downloading untrusted $URL targets though? :shiver:

@bagder