how to create a DVD backup filesystem?

[Gary Kline]

On Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 02:40:01AM +0100, cpghost wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 22, 2009 at 05:10:46PM -0800, Gary Kline wrote:
> > 	Guys, I've got several directories off ~kline/ that I want to
> > 	store permanently.  Like all my development code in ~/devel, and
> > 	all my music mp3's and ogg's in ~/Music, and all my online and
> > 	mp3 books from libribox.org in ~/readings.  There are PDF files
> > 	and HTML and a slew of other stuff.
> > 
> > 	Can I use K3B or some other GUI program to create a filesystem on
> > 	either a few CD's or one DVD?  Right now, I'm cross-backing up
> > 	stuff to four live servers.  It's just data, but I would like to
> > 	be able to inset it into my optical tray, cd to it and cd to
> > 	wherever and read or listen to AND (if some disaster strikes) be
> > 	able to copy my files from the disc to the computer.
> > 
> > 	I think I figured out how to create a tiny filesystem on a floppy
> > 	disc, but this was a Long time ago.  Anything "push-button"?
> 
> Perhaps there is something like that, but I do it manually like this:
> 
> * mkdir cdr/
> * copy approx 3.0 to 3.1 GB worth of files into cdr/

	You mean, I'm guessing, my devel files/subsirs, Music files, and
	other text and data, correct?

> * mkisofs -R -J -o cdr.iso cdr/
> 
> Then use dvdisaster (/usr/ports/sysutils/dvdisaster) to
> augment cdr.iso with RS02 error correction data. This creates
> a bigger cdr.iso of 4.4GB ISO with approx 32% to 40% redundancy,
> which is quite good.


	It is building as I write; thanks for the clue:-)  Anything with
	error correction has to be a win.

> 
> Now, burn it to DVD:
> 
> * growisofs -dvd-compat -speed=8 /dev/cd0=cdr.iso
> 
> and make sure your system is as (disk-)idle as possible while
> burning.


	Sure. Common-sense.

> 
> To use growisofs, install it from /usr/ports/sysutils/dvd+rw-tools.
> You may need to
> 
> # kldload atapicam
> 
> so that you can get /dev/cd0. Don't forget that you need write
> permission to /dev/cd0 and /dev/pass0, so either run growisofs
> as root, or add this to /etc/devfs.rules:
> 
> perm    cd0     0666
> perm    pass0   0666
> 
> and restart devfs (/etc/rc.d/devfs restart).


	I set this up at least *three* times.  ....
> 
> After having burned the DVD, eject it, and insert it again.  Then read
> it back in with dvdisaster (to some OTHER directory!), and verify the
> integrity of the backup (with dvdisaster). That's an important step,
> as you can never be sure that the burning was flawless, unless you
> were able to read it back in without faulty sectors.

	Will do.

> 
> If you plan to archive the DVDs, be sure to schedule some date in
> a couple of years ahead to read them back in and verify their
> condition. If some of those DVDs developed bad sectors, you could
> then try to reconstruct those with dvdisaster (but only if you created
> the error correction data before burning!), and burn a new DVD.


	I'm planning on burning a new DVD every few months; storing
	off-site.  Probably recycling some discs.


> 
> Oh, and try to stick to good DVD blanks like Taiyo Yuden or Verbatim
> (only those made in Taiwan or Japan) to minimize the risk of bad
> sectors (i.e. especially avoid no-names or el-cheapo blanks).
> 
> You can also do without dvdisaster, and write more than 3 GB to the
> DVDs, but if you plan to archive them and be able to read them a few
> years ahead, you'll highly value the error correction codes
> overhead. ;) Oh, and you'll still have to read the data back after
> burning, just to be sure everything's okay. Some kind of checksums
> (md5, sha256) of the directories would be useful, so plan ahead
> and add them before creating the ISO.


	I'll have checksums Plus usin the dvdisaster, :-)  [[ i actually
	did this in the 90's with my floppies; when the CRC failed i knew 
	a floppy had gone south. ]]

> 
> Note that all this is possibly already integrated in K3B or some
> other fancy GUI front-ends, or it may not: I'm not familiar with
> the GUI tools.
> 

	k3b IS probably the most likely tool to automate this, but it's a
	bit too simple for me to figure out.  I want to wind up with a
	DVD that I can mount, cd into, and cd around within.  That is my
	particular gotcha.  So if anybody can teach me how to create a
	mountable/umountable DVD that would be a _filesystem_, using K3B, 
	that might be helpful.

	thanks for your insights,

	gary





> > 	tia,
> > 
> > 	gary
> 
> Regards,
> -cpghost.
> 
> -- 
> Cordula's Web. http://www.cordula.ws/

-- 
 Gary Kline  kline at thought.org  http://www.thought.org  Public Service Unix
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