Howto record multiple session iso files on a CD or DVD

• CDs recorded with the following options will be readable on all OS systems (Unix, Linux, Windows. MacOS) and have correct long file names in every OS.
• The following procedures use cdrtools (mkisofs & cdrecord).
• The procedures below work for single and multiple recording of iso images onto a single CD or DVD.
• This note explains the procedures on Linux, Unix, Cygwin in Windows, and MacOSX systems.

Table of Contents

• Information Common to the different systems
• Linux, Unix, Windows/Cygwin Instructions
• Apple MacOSX Instructions

Information common to the different systems

• Directories to be backed-up should be placed in a common top directory.
  This directory's name will not appear on the recorded CD.
• CDs can contain a maximum of 600-700 Megabytes
  DVDs can contain 4.5 GigaBytes of information
• mkisofs options for the recording
  • The recording will be readable on Linux., Unix, Windows, Apple systems with original long file names
    if the following options are used: -rJTV vol_name
    eg: /usr/bin/mkisofs -rJTV data0303 ./data > data.iso
    • r - is for rockridge extensions - long file names
    • T - sets up Translation Table - r & T for Unix/Linux systems
    • J - Joliet extensions - for Windows systems
    • V - creates a volume title which will appear on Windows/Mac/Solaris systems
      Keep the same title when recording multiple sessions - otherwise only the last title recorded will be used (on some operating systems).
    • Other useful options
      -a: Include all files - "~" "#" files
      -l: if very many files are in the directory, you might need this one - but it may cause problems on Windows
      Read the man page
  • You need a machine with a CD writer to find the information for the next mkisofs session (for a multi-session CD).
  • Use CD-R recording material instead of CD-RW. A CD-RW will be readable only on machines with a CD writer. This excludes all the CIMS Suns and SGIs.
  • On a CD-R, a multi-session recording will obscure older versions of the same file and add new files and directories to the disk.

Linux, Unix, Windows/Cygwin Instructions

• In the following commands, I use "Data0303" for the volume name, and "data" for the top directory containing the directories to be recorded.
• mkisofs can be used on any system having this command (Suns, SGIs)
  cdrecord has to be used on a system with a CD writer.
• cdrecord -scanbus
  This only has to be done once on a system to obtain the device numbers
  On the Dell linux system in the AML lab the results of this command is:
  0,1,0 1) 'SAMSUNG ' 'CDRW/DVD SM-308B' 'xp01' Removable CD-ROM
  This means: dev=0,1,0 or dev=ATA:0,1,0 will be used in subsequent commands.
  Some systems need the device to be specified with ATA: before the device numbers. (The reference to the CD/DVD player can be seen in the boot messages.)
• create a top directory and move directories to be recorded into this directory on the machine where mkisofs is being used:
  mkdir data
  mv dataA dataB data
• run mkisofs the first time
  /usr/bin/mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 ./data > data1.iso
• Move directories dataA dataB back to their original places
• cdrecord -v -eject dev=0,1,0 -multi speed=8 data1.iso
  (or if necessary: cdrecord -v -eject dev=ATA:0,1,0 -multi speed=8 data1.iso)
  speed is the speed of the CD recorder - in the ViSLab it's 8x
• All subsequent times mkisofs has to know where the free space begins.
  This is obtained with the CD inserted in the CD writer and the cdrecord command
  cdrecord -msinfo dev=0,1,0
  or cdrecord -msinfo dev=ATA:0,1,0
  The results of this command is then used with the -C option in mkisofs
  • If mkisofs is on different machine than the CD writer and cdrecord
    copy the info from: cdrecord -msinfo dev=0,1,0 and put it after the -C option in mkisofs
    /usr/bin/mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 -C {cdrecord info} -M /dev/cdrom ./data >data2.iso
  • If the mkisofs command is on the same machine as the cdrecord
    • either
      bash shell: NEXT_SESSION =`cdrecord -msinfo dev=0,1,0`
      tcsh or csh shell: set NEXT_SESSION =`cdrecord -msinfo dev=0,1,0`
      /usr/bin/mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 -C $NEXT_SESSION -M /dev/cdrom ./data >data2.iso
    • or combine these 2 commands
      /usr/bin/mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 -C `cdrecord -msinfo dev=0,1,0` -M /dev/cdrom ./data >data2.iso
• Then record the iso file
  cdrecord -v -eject dev=0,1,0 -multi speed=8 data2.iso
• When finished recording, eject the disk: eject or press the button on CD drive.
• Re-insert the CDROM and check it
  
  • On a Linux system
    ls -F /mnt/cdrom
    dataA/ dataB/ dataC/ dataD/ .... TRANS.TBL
  • On a Sun: the disk is in /cdrom
  • on an SGI: the disk is in /CDROM
  • For further information on this and other types of CD burning,
    see the Linux:CD writing HowTo

Apple MacOSX instructions

• Pre-Instructions and Comments
  • the MacOSX instructions are slightly different from those for the other OSs
  • the procedure has one peculiarity in that you have to use the command
    disktool -u disk1 0
    from time to time to disassociate the device with MacOSX without ejecting it.
    Below you'll find this command listed each time I needed it during the test writing session on the G4 in the AML ViSLab.
    If you have any trouble issuing a command, use disktool first.
  • The G4 in the AML ViSLab is a SuperDrive and thus the device is called "IODVDServices" in the following instructions.
  • In the following, I will call the common top directory with the data to be recorded: data
    and the name of the CD: Data0303
• Put your data directories to be recorded in the common top directory data
• Create the first iso image
  mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 ./data >data1.iso
• burn this first image
  cdrecord -v -multi -data dev=IODVDServices data1.iso
• disktool -u disk1 0
• Find the information locating the free space on the CD
  set NEXT_SESSION=`cdrecord -msinfo dev=IODVDServices`
• disktool -u disk1 0
• create next ( and subsequent) iso image
  mkisofs -rJTV Data0303 -M IODVDServices -C $NEXT_SESSION ./data >data2.iso
• disktool -u disk1 0
• burn the next( and subsequent) iso image
  cdrecord -v -multi -data dev=IODVDServices data2.iso
• when finished eject the disk
  hdiutil eject disk1 or press the "triangle" button key at the top right.
• Re-Insert the disk and type:
  ls /Volumes to see the results
• For further information see Create single-volume multi session CD-Rs