Linux vs. CD & DVD

Why not port CD & DVD software into Linux?
Ref: ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/de...reeBSD-CVS/src
usr.sbin/burncd
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/11/prweb50389.htm

Is there some reason Linux is unable to talk directly with IDE devices?
While items like K3b look pretty, they require you to run emulations of
SCSI and butcher the logic of talking to the device you're trying to use.
Aparantly K3b still uses an ancient writing package (cdrecord), so ancient
that it's even had to create or use seperate software (dvd+rw-tools) just
to address DVD's?
Meanwhile the world has continued to wait for these people to come into the
21st century where the writing softwares actually know about the existance
of IDE CD & DVD burners and the like. I personally would prefer a GUI CD
authoring application that allowed you to nominate which writing app you
would prefer to use (e.g. cdrecord or burncd), but otherwise why not just
import and make use of burncd? It's available & I'm sure Søren would not
mind the Linux world benefiting from his code, just don't remove his name
from source.
- if you read his copyright notice you wil see it does not prevent you from
adding GNU licence requirements.

Stephen Anthony wrote:
> Andrew wrote:
>
>> Why not port CD & DVD software into Linux?
>> Ref:
>> ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/de...nt/FreeBSD-CVS
src
>> usr.sbin/burncd
>> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/11/prweb50389.htm
>>
>> Is there some reason Linux is unable to talk directly with
>> IDE devices?
>
> Actually, the problem is with cdrecord and the kernel being
> used.

So Linux is unable to talk to the ATA bus or to compile a
version of the burncd code?

Stephen Anthony wrote:
>>> Andrew wrote:
>>>>**Why*not*port*CD*&*DVD*software*into*Linux?
>>>>**Ref:
>>>>**ftp://ftp.freebsd.org/pub/FreeBSD/de...nt/FreeBSD-CVS
>> src
>>>> usr.sbin/burncd
>>>>**http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/11/prweb50389.htm
>>>>
>>>>**Is*there*some*reason*Linux*is*unable*to*talk *directly*with
>>>>**IDE*devices?
>>>
>>> Actually, the problem is with cdrecord and the kernel being
>>> used.
>>
>>**So*Linux*is*unable*to*talk*to*the*ATA*bus*or*t o*compile*a
>> version of the burncd code?
>
> *NO*, Linux is unable to talk to the ATA bus with the *version
> of the software you have*.**I*stated*that*with*the*updated
> versions I use, SCSI emulation isn't needed.

*A*person*asks*a*perfectly*civil*question*as*to*if/why*Linux*has
been either unable or unwilling to compile a standard
Unix/Posix code for IDE CD/DVD burners , and you go off your
nut screaming I've been unfair?

> If you had read further, you would have seen
> that *with newer versions*, that support is there.

*Actually,*you*went*off-topic*and*started*talking*about*how*to
bend old softwares using special kernels and patches to the
software.

*The*question*was*Why*not*port*CD*&*DVD*software*i nto*Linux?
Specifically software such as "burncd" and allow all Linux
users to read & write to IDE CD & DVD devices the same way as
the rest of the Posix world?

*If*Linux*is*a*Posix*or*Unix-like*system,*then*it*should*be*easy
to adapt the "burncd" code to run on Linux -- is it or isn't it
possible to adapt "burncd" to Linux & allow Linux users to
write both CDs & DVD's without special kernels or SCSI
emulation etc.

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Andrew wrote:
| The question was Why not port CD & DVD software into Linux?
| Specifically software such as "burncd" and allow all Linux
| users to read & write to IDE CD & DVD devices the same way as
| the rest of the Posix world?
|
| If Linux is a Posix or Unix-like system, then it should be easy
| to adapt the "burncd" code to run on Linux -- is it or isn't it
| possible to adapt "burncd" to Linux & allow Linux users to
| write both CDs & DVD's without special kernels or SCSI
| emulation etc.
|

Simple answer:
It *might* be possible to port burncd to Linux but no one wants to. Why?
There are plenty of other tools (arguably better) to do the job already
there. (And who says burncd is Posix anyways?)

As to why you generally need SCSI emulation for Linux burners:
All CD/DVD writers actually speak SCSI. This is then sent over the ATA
bus by silly layering. All the kernel SCSI emulation does is put things
right and save the application the hassle of removing the ATA layer.

However, as Stephen Anthony was trying to say was, you don't need SCSI
emulation in kernel anymore. Apps like cdrecord can do it for
themselves, for the convenience of all the people who refuse (or don't
know how) to put it in the kernel.

As a side note, Posix is a *huge* specification. Whilst support for it
is definitely growing, no free implementation supports it completely.

- --
Ben M.

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What do Software Patents do?
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