SOLVED: Re: Problems with "burncd" - cannot mount result on unix or windows

UCTC Sysadmin support at transpacific.net
Fri Mar 23 00:17:02 UTC 2007


In looking at the documentation for "cdrecord", the examples showed a two-step process
of making an ISO image then burning it.

Here's my deal:

NEVER HAVING BURNED a CD or DVD on FreeBSD before -
I go to the documentation to FIND OUT HOW
and there really is no HOW

So I look in vain for

"What you need to do in the kernel if anything to support burning CDs/DVDs"
"What additional support libraries or software would be needed"
"The stepwise process for burning CDs or DVDs"

I created a junk file called "junk.tar" as a single file to put on a CD to prove the command works.
I then use

burncd -f /dev/acd0 data junk.tar fixate

and of course trying to

mount -t cd9660 /dev/acd0 /mnt

fails and the CD is also unreadable on windows.

Well duh. That is because THE FILE SYSTEM HAS TO BE CREATED MANUALLY.
Now, users used to smart unix commands read the man page and it SAYS of burncd

fixate writes a TOC and makes the CD readable

I am writing an ISO9660 device (a device for which ISO9660 is a reasonable default FS - yes? no?)
Any meaningful defaults here? Did the man page tell me I hade to wrap my data inside a filesystem image?
I did not see that. So DUH is right.

I then said, hey.

mkisofs -R -o image.raw junk.tar

THEN said

burncd -f /dev/acd0 data image.raw fixate

and VOILA like magic all is good. It works and reads on unix and windows like a champ.

=======

So THE FAQ and/or HOWTO SUCKS, is the problem. If that offends purists, try fixing your transmission
under deadline with a japanese shop manual translated into english and no diagrams. Documentation makes
all the difference, both to novices and to professionals. Someone who knows the how and what should
write a contributed thing - whenever they have the time and desire to educate the unwashed masses.

-foo-


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