MEPIS Community Forum

Mepis11: How to use k3b to create a multisession DVD-R?

Hi,
I Misc->Start Multisession
in k3b on a brand new DVD-R for a data project. All goes fine. Can mount
the resulting burned DVD-R are readback fine.

Then subsequently, with this DVD-R loaded, I go to "Import Session"
and I get dialog "Please insert an appendable medium." I'm expecting
the medium in there to be appendable, for when it was created, I specified
"Start Multisession." I tried this twice, and both times I could not add a 2nd
session. I used FileSystem=Custom (Rock Ridge, Joliet).

I know I've created multisession CDs just fine on mepis 8 previously on
this same hw. I haven't tried multisession CD on mepis 11.

Does someone know what is going on, please? I am most grateful for any
theories or ideas.

This is status after 1st (and only) burn of the DVD-R
mepis1:/media/cdrom % !iso
isoinfo -d -i /dev/cdrom
CD-ROM is in ISO 9660 format
System id: LINUX
Volume id: startup.tgz.cip
Volume set id:
Publisher id:
Data preparer id:
Application id: K3B THE CD KREATOR (C) 1998-2010 SEBASTIAN TRUEG AND MICHAL MALEK
Copyright File id:
Abstract File id:
Bibliographic File id:
Volume set size is: 1
Volume set sequence number is: 1
Logical block size is: 2048
Volume size is: 453187
Joliet with UCS level 3 found
Rock Ridge signatures version 1 found

And this is what k3b reports in main window upon "media info:"
Type: DVD-R Sequential
Media ID: MUST 003
Capacity: 100:42:37 min (885.1 MiB)
Used Capacity: 100:42:37 min (885.1 MiB)
Remaining: 00:00:00 min (0 B)
Rewritable: no
Appendable: no
Empty: no
Layers: 1
Sessions: 1
Supported writing speeds: 2.0x (2770 KB/s)
4.0x (5540 KB/s)
6.0x (8310 KB/s)
8.0x (11080 KB/s)
ISO9660 Filesystem Info
System Id: LINUX
Volume Id: startup.tgz.cip
Volume Set Id: -
Publisher Id: -
Preparer Id: -
Application Id: K3B THE CD KREATOR (C) 1998-2010 SEBASTIAN TRUEG AND MICHAL MALEK
Volume Size: 885.1 MiB (2,048 B * 453,187 blocks = 928,126,976 B)
Tracks
Type Attributes First-Last Sector Length
1 (Data) no copy/uninterrupted 0 - 453186 453187 (100:42:37)

Open K3b and choose New Data Project. Select the data you wish to add to a disk that's open. Then go to the Project menu and choose Import Session. If the disk is not in the burner it will ask for one that's open. Then click Project/Burn. You may want to make sure that Continue multisession is selected. Though I've used the auto selection without problems. That is also where you can close the disk if needed.

Hi lucky9,
The problem is, the DVD-R created after first burn is not "open."
The report itself says "Appendable: no" and this is *despite* the
specification of "start Multisession" when created via first burn in k3b.

Perhaps the question should be, how do I start a DVD-R multisession
such that the DVD is "open" after the first burn?

Thanks.

I've tried many multi-sessions with k3b, and none have worked. All disks are closed, and when trying to import, the disk is ejected. If you do an internet search, you'll find that it's not an uncommon problem.

I've just spent some time and several disks to find out how I'd done it previously. I can't get a session to add to an open disk. It took several tries to even get an open disk (select growisofs). I know I've done it (added to an open session disk) but I don't remember how and haven't been able to duplicate it. I'll keep trying since I now have an open session disk to use but I've been through many variations and get various errors before burning starts. This appears to be a major bug in K3b.

You might try using growisofs from the Command Line. Try man growisofs to see the correct syntax. I just added a session to a disk a week or two ago using K3b (after trying several times), but don't have a clue how I did it.

.
This thread is interesting to me. I discovered a while back that I can add files to old, obsolete DVD-Rs that were used to burn ISOs. I have several around here from the Mepis 11 alpha and beta era that I will keep using to archive data until they are full.

I found a way to add to a multisession DVD:

With DVD in hand, place it in your drive. When the Device Notifier opens choose Copy with K3b. This will open K3b with the Copy dialog open. Click Cancel twice. This will close the Copy dialog.

Go to File/New Project/Continue Multisession Project
Go to Project/Add Files
Add the files you wish to the project.
Go to Project/Burn
Make sure that growisofs is chosen (top right of the Burn dialog)
Make sure that Continue Multisession is chosen under the Misc Tab.

Click Burn.
This will throw up an error dialog. Do nothing

You now have added a session to a Multisession DVD.


I assume that the Device Notifier is causing this since no other way was possible for me to add a session to a Multisession DVD. I suppose it could be K3b. But that's the rigmarole you need to go through on my machine using Mepis 11 Standard 64 bit.

To start a Multisession DVD you will have to go through the same procedure, but change Continue Multisession to Start Multisession. And of course you won't have to choose Copy when the Device Notifier opens. Just click on the DVD in the Notifier and K3b will open. Use the File/New Project/New Data Project and choose growisofs and Start New Multisession.

Thanks for all the toughts from all. I had not tried this Burn->writing
app->growisofs choice (top right of the Burn dialog). I never paid any
attention to this "Writing app" drop down selector, and I suspect it
was on "Auto" for my prior experiments. I'll try again soon with this
astute recommendation once I have something sizable to burn (I've wasted
enough barely-filled DVD-Rs on experimenting).

Can anyone else please confirm they use lucky9's procedure to successfully
produce appendable (i.e. "open") multisession DVD-Rs on Mepis11 using k3b?
And then appended successfully with subsequent sessions?

The genisoimage man page has this sentence:

Anyone know more on what it means for a CD recorder to have multisession capability?

I haven't heard of any CD or DVD burner that didn't. They may be out there, but they aren't mainstream manufacturers.

As an aside, I checked that the procedure was repeatable after finding out what needed to be done. Twice. If you're running Mepis 11 Standard it should work for you. I make no claims about an upgraded version. K3b is at version 2.0.2 on my machine.

This was making me crazy for a few minutes because I was not seeing what you described. An Internet search turned up the answer. You must go to Settings-->Configure K3B-->Advanced and check the "Show Advanced GUI elements" checkbox before you will see the growisofs option. Once I did that I was able to create a multi-session DVD.

Thanks.