summaryrefslogtreecommitdiffstats
path: root/Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat (limited to 'Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt')
-rw-r--r--Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt97
1 files changed, 97 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt b/Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3d44c561fe6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Documentation/cdrom/packet-writing.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,97 @@
+Getting started quick
+---------------------
+
+- Select packet support in the block device section and UDF support in
+ the file system section.
+
+- Compile and install kernel and modules, reboot.
+
+- You need the udftools package (pktsetup, mkudffs, cdrwtool).
+ Download from http://sourceforge.net/projects/linux-udf/
+
+- Grab a new CD-RW disc and format it (assuming CD-RW is hdc, substitute
+ as appropriate):
+ # cdrwtool -d /dev/hdc -q
+
+- Setup your writer
+ # pktsetup dev_name /dev/hdc
+
+- Now you can mount /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name and copy files to it. Enjoy!
+ # mount /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name /cdrom -t udf -o rw,noatime
+
+
+Packet writing for DVD-RW media
+-------------------------------
+
+DVD-RW discs can be written to much like CD-RW discs if they are in
+the so called "restricted overwrite" mode. To put a disc in restricted
+overwrite mode, run:
+
+ # dvd+rw-format /dev/hdc
+
+You can then use the disc the same way you would use a CD-RW disc:
+
+ # pktsetup dev_name /dev/hdc
+ # mount /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name /cdrom -t udf -o rw,noatime
+
+
+Packet writing for DVD+RW media
+-------------------------------
+
+According to the DVD+RW specification, a drive supporting DVD+RW discs
+shall implement "true random writes with 2KB granularity", which means
+that it should be possible to put any filesystem with a block size >=
+2KB on such a disc. For example, it should be possible to do:
+
+ # dvd+rw-format /dev/hdc (only needed if the disc has never
+ been formatted)
+ # mkudffs /dev/hdc
+ # mount /dev/hdc /cdrom -t udf -o rw,noatime
+
+However, some drives don't follow the specification and expect the
+host to perform aligned writes at 32KB boundaries. Other drives do
+follow the specification, but suffer bad performance problems if the
+writes are not 32KB aligned.
+
+Both problems can be solved by using the pktcdvd driver, which always
+generates aligned writes.
+
+ # dvd+rw-format /dev/hdc
+ # pktsetup dev_name /dev/hdc
+ # mkudffs /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name
+ # mount /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name /cdrom -t udf -o rw,noatime
+
+
+Packet writing for DVD-RAM media
+--------------------------------
+
+DVD-RAM discs are random writable, so using the pktcdvd driver is not
+necessary. However, using the pktcdvd driver can improve performance
+in the same way it does for DVD+RW media.
+
+
+Notes
+-----
+
+- CD-RW media can usually not be overwritten more than about 1000
+ times, so to avoid unnecessary wear on the media, you should always
+ use the noatime mount option.
+
+- Defect management (ie automatic remapping of bad sectors) has not
+ been implemented yet, so you are likely to get at least some
+ filesystem corruption if the disc wears out.
+
+- Since the pktcdvd driver makes the disc appear as a regular block
+ device with a 2KB block size, you can put any filesystem you like on
+ the disc. For example, run:
+
+ # /sbin/mke2fs /dev/pktcdvd/dev_name
+
+ to create an ext2 filesystem on the disc.
+
+
+Links
+-----
+
+See http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/ for more information
+about DVD writing.