Member Avatar for ztdep

Dear friends:
I download a software in *.bin mirror file. Could you please tell me how to mount it in opensuse linux.
Regards.

  • 2 Contributors
  • 1 Reply
  • 267 Views
  • 12 Hours Discussion Span
  • Latest Post Latest Post by JasonHippy

Dani AI

Generated

Short answer: a ".bin" file can be several different things — an installer binary or a disc image — so the first step is to identify what this particular file actually contains. already pointed out the installer case; when a download is described as a "mirror" it is often a CD/DVD image, in which case mounting or converting to ISO is the right path.

Use the file utility to detect the container type:

file filename.bin

If the output mentions "ISO 9660" or "CD-ROM filesystem", the file is a disc image and can be mounted or converted. If the output shows "ELF", "POSIX shell script" or similar, it is an executable/installer and should be treated as a program (run only if trusted). If file returns just "data", further inspection is needed.

Common workflows for a disc image:

  • If a .cue exists alongside the .bin, convert to ISO (bchunk is the usual tool on Linux) and then mount the resulting ISO.
  • If the .bin is already an ISO-like image, mount it with a loop device and a read-only mount point.

Examples (openSUSE):

sudo zypper install bchunk
bchunk image.bin image.cue image
sudo mount -o loop,ro image01.iso /mnt/iso

If the file is not an image, tools such as 7-Zip (7z) or binwalk can list or extract embedded archives:

7z l filename.bin
7z x filename.bin -o./extracted

Troubleshooting notes: mount failures often indicate the wrong file type or a corrupted download — check file size and checksums supplied by the mirror. If inspection shows a text script at the start (shebang), treat it as an installer and follow safe practices (verify vendor/checksum, run with appropriate privileges only when confident).

Member Avatar for JasonHippy

AFAIK, on Linux .bin files are usually self-extracting files.
Things like the linux versions of the Oracle/Sun Java runtime and Flashplayer are often distributed as .bin files, which self-extract and then run an installer/script to install the program.

In order to use .bin files, you usually just need to run them. But you'll almost certainly need to make the file executable by changing its permissions before you'll be able to run it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You should only change the .bin files permissions and run it if you are happy that it is from a trusted source and it is genuine! (a fairly basic bit of common sense, but I feel it's worth mentioning)
As long as you are happy that the file is genuine, or you're willing to take a risk, then you can proceed...

To change the permissions, you can usually do this graphically via your desktop file-manager by navigating to the files location and right clicking on it. Then select 'properties' and locate and tick a checkbox in the properties dialog to make the file executable.
Otherwise, you can do it from the command line:

chmod +x /path/to/filename.bin

where '/path/to/' is the path to your file and 'filename.bin' is the name of your .bin file

The next step is simply to run it, either by double clicking on it in your file manager, or via the command line:

/path/to/filename.bin

If changing permissions and executing the file doesn't work with your .bin file, then you should repost with some more information about the file you downloaded.

E.g. The name of the software/file and where you downloaded it from.

This information should enable the community here to give you a more definite solution to your problem.

EDIT: A quick thought...
After changing the files permissions, you might need to run it as root, particularly if it's an installer. With this in mind; Assuming you're using Opensuse with KDE, you might need to use the kdesu command from the command line:

kdesu /path/to/filename.bin

By entering the above command, you'll be prompted to enter your root password before the .bin file is ran.
NOTE: Only run as root if the .bin file requires it and as long as you trust the file.

Edited by Member #120589 because: fixed formatting
Be a part of the DaniWeb community

We're a friendly, industry-focused community of developers, IT pros, digital marketers, and technology enthusiasts meeting, networking, learning, and sharing knowledge.