# Which image for which purpose?

**URL:** <https://hub.mender.io/t/which-image-for-which-purpose/4384>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [December 7, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/which-image-for-which-purpose/4384 "2021-12-07T12:55:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Granjow](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/granjow/32/1431_2.png) [@Granjow](https://hub.mender.io/u/Granjow)\
**Post date:** [December 7, 2021, 12:55pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/which-image-for-which-purpose/4384/1 "2021-12-07T12:55:55Z")

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Hi there,

I have a beginner’s question regarding the different images that can be created with the `mender-image-*` features: Which are used for which purpose?

My current understanding:

- `hddimg` can be flashed on a USB stick for later installation on the system (boot and install partition)
- `uefiimg` is supposed to be burned directly on the target media (alread contains 4 partitions)
- `mender` is the artifact for mender deployment
- `ubi` for, well, usage as UBI image
- `sdimg` same as uefiimg

Is this correct?

Thanks,  
Simon

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**Author:** ![kacf](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/kacf/32/146_2.png) [@kacf](https://hub.mender.io/u/kacf)\
**Post date:** [December 9, 2021, 7:30am UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/which-image-for-which-purpose/4384/2 "2021-12-09T07:30:14Z")

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> [@Granjow](#):
>
> - `hddimg` can be flashed on a USB stick for later installation on the system (boot and install partition)

This is not used in Mender setups. It probably comes from one of the entries in `IMAGE_FSTYPES`, and is built by poky, not meta-mender.

> [@Granjow](#):
>
> - `uefiimg` is supposed to be burned directly on the target media (alread contains 4 partitions)
> - `mender` is the artifact for mender deployment
> - `ubi` for, well, usage as UBI image

Correct.

> [@Granjow](#):
>
> - `sdimg` same as uefiimg

Pretty much, except they are rarely used at the same time. `uefiimg` is typically used on x86, and on ARM if you are using the default `mender-grub` integration. `sdimg` is used on ARM platforms which have done custom U-Boot integrations and have turned off `mender-grub` and `mender-image-uefi`. In most cases only one of the two images will be built, so you can check your build directory for which one to use.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Granjow](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex036/user_avatar/hub.mender.io/granjow/32/1431_2.png) [@Granjow](https://hub.mender.io/u/Granjow)\
**Post date:** [January 5, 2022, 2:01pm UTC](https://hub.mender.io/t/which-image-for-which-purpose/4384/3 "2022-01-05T14:01:46Z")

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Thanks @kacf for the answer.  
I submitted a MR to extend the docs on that topic.