[ILUG] [Q] `cdrecord -dummy' turns a DVD+R into a coaster?

Brian Foster blf at blf.utvinternet.ie
Fri Aug 18 18:24:49 IST 2006


 for the past few months I've been making backups to DVD
 (both +R and -R) on an highly non-regular basis using
 KDE's K3b (this is on SUSE 9.1).  K3b is a PITA in some
 respects, hence today I decided to revert to a script.
 I used to make backups to CD-R's (on a different drive)
 with a script, and so _assumed_ it'd just be a matter
 of a few tweaks.

 it almost was:  with a blank DVD+R in the drive, the
 cdrecord(1), using `-dummy', made a coaster!  eh?
 I noticed the dummy fixating time was extraordinarily
 fast (< 1 second), so *guessed* that was the problem,
 and tried a 2nd DVD+R `-dummy -nofix'.
 another coaster.  eh??!?

 any ideas?

 some details:

    $ cdrecord --version
    Cdrecord-Clone-dvd 2.01a27 (i686-suse-linux) Copyright (C) 1995-2004 Jörg Schilling
    Note: This version is an unofficial (modified) version with DVD support
    Note: and therefore may have bugs that are not present in the original.
    Note: Please send bug reports or support requests to http://www.suse.de/feedback
    Note: The author of cdrecord should not be bothered with problems in this version.

 ( I suppose it's possible this one of those bugs being
  warned about.  I previously discovered packet mode
  doesn't seem to work, which I presume is such a bug. )

    $ cdrecord -scanbus -dev=ATA
    scsidev: 'ATA'
    devname: 'ATA'
    scsibus: -2 target: -2 lun: -2
    Linux sg driver version: 3.5.27
    Using libscg version 'schily-0.8'.
    cdrecord: Warning: using inofficial libscg transport code version (okir at suse.de-scsi-linux-sg.c-1.80-resmgr-patch '@(#)scsi-linux-sg.c  1.80 04/03/08 Copyright 1997 J. Schilling').
    scsibus1:
        1,0,0   100) 'TSSTcorp' 'CD/DVDW SH-S162A' 'TS02' Removable CD-ROM
   [ ... ]

    $ cdrecord -v -dummy speed=12 dev=ATA:1,0,0 -sao fs=8m -nofix ./image
    TOC Type: 1 = CD-ROM
    scsidev: 'ATA:1,0,0'
    devname: 'ATA'
    scsibus: 1 target: 0 lun: 0
    Linux sg driver version: 3.5.27
    Using libscg version 'schily-0.8'.
    cdrecord: Warning: using inofficial libscg transport code version (okir at suse.de-scsi-linux-sg.c-1.80-resmgr-patch '@(#)scsi-linux-sg.c	1.80 04/03/08 Copyright 1997 J. Schilling').
    SCSI buffer size: 64512
    atapi: -1
    Device type    : Removable CD-ROM
    Version	       : 0
    Response Format: 2
    Capabilities   :
    Vendor_info    : 'TSSTcorp'
    Identifikation : 'CD/DVDW SH-S162A'
    Revision       : 'TS02'
    Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-R/DVD-RW.
    Current: 0x001B
    Profile: 0x002B
    Profile: 0x001B (current)
    Profile: 0x001A
    Profile: 0x0016
    Profile: 0x0015
    Profile: 0x0014
    Profile: 0x0013
    Profile: 0x0012
    Profile: 0x0011
    Profile: 0x0010
    Profile: 0x000A
    Profile: 0x0009
    Profile: 0x0008
    Profile: 0x0002
    cdrecord: Found DVD media: using cdr_mdvd.
    Using generic SCSI-3/mmc DVD-R(W) driver (mmc_mdvd).
    Driver flags   : SWABAUDIO BURNFREE
    Supported modes: PACKET SAO
    Drive buf size : 1638400 = 1600 KB
    FIFO size      : 8388608 = 8192 KB
    Track 01: data	2291 MB
    Total size:	2631 MB (260:41.32) = 1173099 sectors
    Lout start:	2631 MB (260:43/24) = 1173099 sectors
    Current Secsize: 2048
      ATIP start of lead in:  -150 (00:00/00)
      ATIP start of lead out: 157789 (35:05/64)
    Disk type:    unknown dye (reserved id code)
    Manuf. index: -1
    Manufacturer: unknown (not in table)
    Blocks total: 2295104 Blocks current: 2295104 Blocks remaining: 1122005
    Starting to write CD/DVD at speed   6.0 in dummy SAO mode for single session.
    Last chance to quit, starting dummy write in 0 seconds. Operation starts.
    Waiting for reader process to fill input buffer ... input buffer ready.
    trackno=0
    BURN-Free is OFF.
    BURN-Free is OFF.
    Sending CUE sheet...
    cdrecord: WARNING: Drive returns wrong startsec (0) using -150
    Starting new track at sector: 0
   [ ... ]
    Track 01: 2291 of 2291 MB written.(fifo 100%) [buf  30%]   3.3x.
    Track 01: Total bytes read/written: 2402506752/2402506752 (1173099 sectors).
    Writing	 time:	766.355s
    Average write speed   2.3x.
    Min drive buffer fill was 5%
    Total of 2 possible drive buffer underruns predicted.
    cdrecord: fifo had 37842 puts and 37842 gets.
    cdrecord: fifo was 0 times empty and 3402 times full, min fill was 40%.

 the above `-dummy' burn (with or without `-nofix') created
 the coaster.  a repeat of the same `-dummy' burn then fails
 immediately (I've omitted lines that are the same as above):

    $ cdrecord -v -dummy speed=12 dev=ATA:1,0,0 -sao fs=8m -nofix ./image
   [ ... ]
    Blocks total: 1173104 Blocks current: 0 Blocks remaining: -1173099
    cdrecord: WARNING: Data may not fit on current disk.
    cdrecord: Notice: Most recorders cannot write CD's >= 90 minutes.
    cdrecord: Notice: Use -ignsize option to allow >= 90 minutes.
    cdrecord: Notice: Use -overburn option to write more than the official disk capacity.
    cdrecord: Notice: Most CD-writers do overburning only on SAO or RAW mode.
    Command exited with non-zero status 255

 it's almost as-if it really burnt the DVD+R (i.e.,
 as-if the laser was on despite `-dummy'), except
 that I cannot mount the DVD+R at all.  as far as
 I can tell, it (both of them) is a coaster.  ;-(

 I'm off-line ATM so have not tried Google™.  ;-(
 I've also not tried _not_ using `-dummy' (I've only
 got one blank DVD+R left ATM  ;-\  ).
 any ideas?

cheers!
	-blf-

p.s.  what did work was to more-or-less clone what
     K3b does, and use growisofs(1).  I have not
     tried `growisofs -dry-run', albeit K3b seems
     to be able to do that, so I assume it works:

         $  growisofs --version
         * growisofs by <appro at fy.chalmers.se>, version 5.17,
           front-ending to mkisofs: mkisofs 2.01a27 (i686-suse-linux)

         $ growisofs -dvd-compat -speed=4 -Z /dev/dvdram=./image
         Executing 'builtin_dd if=./image of=/dev/dvdram obs=32k seek=0'
         /dev/dvdram: "Current Write Speed" is 4.1x1385KBps.
        [ ,,, ]
         2392195072/2402506752 (99.6%) @2.4x, remaining 0:03
         builtin_dd: 1173104*2KB out
         /dev/dvdram: flushing cache
         /dev/dvdram: closing track
         /dev/dvdram: closing disc

-- 
Experienced (20+ yrs) kernel/software Eng: | Brian Foster   Montpellier,
 • Unix, embedded, &tc;  • Linux;  • doc;  | blf at utvinternet.ie   FRANCE
 • IDL, automated testing, process, &tc.   |  Stop E$$o (ExxonMobile)!
Résumé (CV) http://www.blf.utvinternet.ie  |     http://www.stopesso.com



More information about the ILUG mailing list