Mac OS X: Best Way to Make an ISO from a CD or DVD

"There are generally four ways to create a disk image on an OS X box:

Disk Utility - The on-screen prompts will guide you, but it will by default create a .dmg, which is an OS X-specific file format. Disk Utility will also create an ISO (.cdr extension) if you select the ""CD/DVD Master"" option before creating the image. You can rename the extension (to .iso) after creation if desired.
Roxio Toast - The de facto third-party standard in creating optical media on Mac OS for over a decade, it will create almost any CD or DVD format you want.
The hdiutil command-line utility, which will, in fact, create every format that Toast supports, for free, though it is far less pretty. If you want to create an ISO with this tool, use hdiutil makehybrid -iso -joliet -o Image.iso /input_path
There is a fourth, extremely direct command-line way using dd that sysadmins might know: dd if=/dev/disk1 of=Image.iso"

"Actually Disk Utility will create an ISO (.cdr extension). Just ensure you select the ""CD/DVD Master"" option before creation the image.

That file can then be used like any other ISO file only requiring a rename for certain dumb Windows apps that baulk at the .cdr extension.

Been using this method for ages with no problems."

"You can use the dd command line tool. Make sure you unmount the drive first though.

dd if=/dev/dvd of=dvd.iso

This will make a bit-for-bit copy of the DVD.

Note: substitute /dev/dvd with the name of the device as it shows up in Disk Utility in OS X, for example if Disk Utility's BSD device node shows 'disk2' then use /dev/disk2."

Don't forget asr, the Apple Software Restore command-line utility: it can operate like a raw copy program like dd, but it has more bells and whistles. Not least, it will work directly with volume pathnames, as dd won't.

"I'm normally a command-line person myself, and the built-in Disk Utility works pretty well also, but I recently stumbled across another good and free alternative called Burn. Among its many features is the ability to make disc images:

Download Burn, then extract and open it
Put your disc in
Open the Copy tab
Click Scan...
Select the disc and click Choose
Click Save..., choose a name and location, and click Save"