CD/DVD/BD Writing

Article status

This article has some todo items:

Describe how to write UDF images to CDs
Add systemd replacement for the /etc/init.d/pktcdvd init script

Installation

Kernel

Configure the kernel to support the filesystems necessary for reading and writing ISO disks.

KERNEL Enable ISO 9660 and UDF filesystem support

File systems  --->
   CD-ROM/DVD Filesystems  --->
      <*> ISO 9660 CDROM file system support
      [*]   Microsoft Joliet CDROM extensions
      [*]   Transparent decompression extension
      <*> UDF file system support

Emerge

Follow the CDROM page for hardware driver kernel configuration, along with including UDF write support.

Install the app-cdr/cdrtools or app-cdr/dvd+rw-tools packages, for writing CD/DVD/BD media:

root #emerge --ask app-cdr/cdrtools

Or:

root #emerge --ask app-cdr/dvd+rw-tools

For UDF writing, ensure included the above mentioned UDF kernel drivers and the following package:

root #emerge --ask sys-fs/udftools

Best practice is to use read write (RW/RE) media for testing writing ISO9660/UDF filesystem images. If a command fails to work, or the hardware or media fails, you can try again.

Usage

Usage for the ISO9660/UDF filesystem.

Determine the size of media

First, find the maximum size the media can contain.

user $dvd+rw-mediainfo /dev/sr0

Track Size:            24438784*2KB

Or 24438784*2KB = 48877568 KB for 50GB BD-R DL (Blu-ray dual layer) media.

user $truncate --size=48877568KB test.udf

Or you can use the following with disabling defect management:

user $truncate --size=50GB ./test.udf

Note
Defect management sets aside 256MB aside during formatting and also reduces write to half-speed. See the writing section below for specifics.

Create and populate filesystem

Create either a ISO9660 or a UDF filesystem. Microsoft Windows uses lvid for optical media title:

user $mkudffs --lvid="MY_VOLUME" --utf8 ./test.udf

Mount the filesystem:

user $sudo mount -oloop,rw ./test.udf /mnt/tmp/

Populate filesystem:

user $rsync -ax --delete /home/larry/Documents/ /mnt/tmp/

Verify proper permissions are preserved:

user $

chown -R larry.larry /mnt/tmp

user $

chmod -R a+r /mnt/tmp

user $

chmod -R go-w /mnt/tmp

Writing

CD-RW media

CD-RW media requires the packet device driver and starting the /etc/init.d/pktcdvd service and the following line within fstab:

FILE /etc/fstab

/dev/pktcdvd/0  /mnt/udfwrite  udf             user,noauto,noatime,utf8  0 0

DVD/Blu-ray (RW/RE) media

DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and Blu-ray Recordable Erasable (BD-RE) media can be easily written by simply mounting the media and writing to the media as a normal filesystem, as these devices and media allow random writing, versus CD-RW only allowing sequential writing.

Image writing

CD writing

ISO

user $

cdrecord -scanbus

user $

cdrecord -speed=40 dev=2,0,0 -eject -dao driveropts=burnfree test.iso

UDF

TODO

DVD/Blu-ray

BD defect management

By default growisofs uses defect management which requires 256MB extra space and uses reduced write speeds. This may be disabled via:

user $dvd+rw-format /dev/dvd -ssa=none

And use the following after writing to ensure files are properly written:

user $diff -r /home/larry/Documents/ /mnt/tmp/

ISO

user $growisofs -Z /dev/sr0=test.iso

UDF

Atypically, you can write with the following as long as you are within the limits of your DVD/BD media's size limitations:

user $growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/sr0=test.udf

If you have used the above truncate with 25GB/50GB, specifying the top limits of BD media, you will need to disable Defect Management requiring 256MB extra space:

user $growisofs -use-the-force-luke=spare:none -dvd-compat -speed=4 -Z /dev/sr0=test.udf