K3b multisession fails

[SABCD]

Binary package hint: k3b

One attempts to burn a multisession DVD by selecting "Start Multisession" on the Misc tab of "Project Properties". If one attempts to set the "Writing Mode" to TAO, or SAO on the "Writing" tab, one is unable to change the writing mode from "Auto". That is, the only unavailable writing mode is "Auto". When the DVD is burnt one will get the warning message "Most writers do not support multisession in DAO mode". The DVD will burn succesfully. However, if one attempts to now append a new session to the DVD by selecting "Continue Multisession" on the "Misc" tab of "Project Properties", the burn will be aborted with the message "Could not determine size of resulting image file".

It appears that K3b is burning the multisession DVD in DAO when it should be burning it in SAO (or possible TAO) and thus failing. (It is possible the the problem may be with GrowIsoFS and that this behavior is on purpose due to current possible problems with GrowIsoFS. I state this due to error messages received when attempting to due the same in ArchLinux ... sorry I can't remember the details). (Or it is of course always possible there is something I am doing wrong).

This version of K3b is 4.3.2. per K3b Help, or 1.68.0-alpha~alpha2-0Ubuntu1 per Synaptic.

Previous versions of K3b would automatically start and continue multisession when burning a data DVD by default and without user intervention. Admittingly, there was always a slight problem as there was never a true accurate indication of disk space left when one went to burn the second or subsequent sessions.

Ubuntu Release:
Description: Ubuntu 9.10
Release: 9.10

k3b:
  Installed: 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1
  Candidate: 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1
  Version table:
 *** 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1 0
        500 http://76.73.4.58 karmic/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

[Vaggos (drz4007)]

i have the same problem. it seems imposible to write a multisession disk with k3b. now

[AbdRahim (abdrahim-)]

I also have reproduced this problem on 2 machines, in Karmic. The problem seems to be specific to DVD's. I was able to import a session from a CD. I hope this will be fixed soon, since it worked in openSuse 11.2

[AbdRahim (abdrahim-)]

By the way The problem also occurs with Brasero. Thus far it seems as if there is no way to burn a multisession DVD in Karmic.

[AbdRahim (abdrahim-)]

GnomeBaker will import the session, but fails to append the disc. something is really broken in Karmic. Need help.

[AbdRahim (abdrahim-)]

> Date: Sat, 19 Dec 2009 03:05:58 +0000
> From: <email address hidden>
> To: <email address hidden>
> Subject: [Bug 471303] Re: K3b multisession fails
>
> GnomeBaker will import the session, but fails to append the disc.
> something is really broken in Karmic. Need help.
>
> --
> K3b multisession fails
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/471303
> You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
> of the bug.
>
> Status in “k3b” package in Ubuntu: New
>
> Bug description:
> Binary package hint: k3b
>
> One attempts to burn a multisession DVD by selecting "Start Multisession" on the Misc tab of "Project Properties". If one attempts to set the "Writing Mode" to TAO, or SAO on the "Writing" tab, one is unable to change the writing mode from "Auto". That is, the only unavailable writing mode is "Auto". When the DVD is burnt one will get the warning message "Most writers do not support multisession in DAO mode". The DVD will burn succesfully. However, if one attempts to now append a new session to the DVD by selecting "Continue Multisession" on the "Misc" tab of "Project Properties", the burn will be aborted with the message "Could not determine size of resulting image file".
>
> It appears that K3b is burning the multisession DVD in DAO when it should be burning it in SAO (or possible TAO) and thus failing. (It is possible the the problem may be with GrowIsoFS and that this behavior is on purpose due to current possible problems with GrowIsoFS. I state this due to error messages received when attempting to due the same in ArchLinux ... sorry I can't remember the details). (Or it is of course always possible there is something I am doing wrong).
>
> This version of K3b is 4.3.2. per K3b Help, or 1.68.0-alpha~alpha2-0Ubuntu1 per Synaptic.
>
> Previous versions of K3b would automatically start and continue multisession when burning a data DVD by default and without user intervention. Admittingly, there was always a slight problem as there was never a true accurate indication of disk space left when one went to burn the second or subsequent sessions.
>
> Ubuntu Release:
> Description: Ubuntu 9.10
> Release: 9.10
>
> k3b:
> Installed: 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1
> Candidate: 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1
> Version table:
> *** 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1 0
> 500 http://76.73.4.58 karmic/main Packages
> 100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
>
> To unsubscribe from this bug, go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/k3b/+bug/471303/+subscribe

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[SABCD (ctrn3e8)]

Would seem to indicate that the problem is in the backends. GnomeBaker, K3b, and Brasero all fail. Not sure what the trace files in the previous post are, but in both cases wodim seems to generate an error.

Problem with that theory is that if I go into Arch and uninstall just K3b and then install an old K3b, version 1.0.5. (from KDE 3.5.10) (which I did in Arch since it is lot easier to do there, than in Ubuntu) the bug disappears, that is, it can append to a multisession DVD without issues and it does not fail. In using the legacy K3b it should be noted that it is using the same backend as the new K3b, that is cdrkit 1.1.9 (which includes mkisofs, wodim, and genisoimage ) and dvd+rw-tools 7.1 (which includes growisofs)

[TimGS (timspe)]

Similar issue here - I can start a multisession data DVD, but on trying to continue I get the errors in the attached image. There is an implication that DAO/TAO mode is the issue.

This is a DVD+R disk.

-- Tim.

[Schily (schilling-fokus)]

You are not using cdrecord but wodim. You thus cannot expect that
writing to DVDs works at all.

wodim is a fork made from a more than 4 year old cdrecord version
by adding plenty of bugs and by replacing the mature DVD support
from the original cdrecord by something half baken. Note that if you
have wodim instead of cdrecord you most likely also have a buggy
variant from mkisofs called "genisoimage" that creates defective
filesystems.

I recommend ti install revent original software, it has no known
bugs

ftp://ftp.berlios.de/pub/cdrecord/alpha/

http://cdrecord.berlios.de/

Just a note with DVD+RW, there is no way to create conforming
multi border sessions, it is currently not clear whether there is
a similar problem with DVD+R (cdrecord does thus not support
multi border for DVD+R). Please use DVD-R or DVD-RW for
multi morder experiments.

[SABCD (ctrn3e8)]

Please read the comment from 12-23-2009.

To re-capitulate:
If (on Arch) you uninstall ONLY the current k3b 1.68.0~alpha3-0ubuntu1 package (that is the "kde 4.x" version) and then install the old k3b 1.0.5. package (kde 3.x version) k3b is able to burn multisession DVD+R without any issues whatsoever. As far as I can tell the configuration with regard to which backends it is using, does not change when you swap the k3b versions. Also note, when the k3b 4.x version is removed on ARCH (and this I can say with some certainity) the back ends are in no way altered...which is why I did it on ARCH...only the k3b 4.x is removed and then when the k3b 3.x is installed, only that package is installed. ( Note the k3b 1.68.0... is removed using "pacman -Rd k3b" which removes only k3b) I could try to do the same thing on UBUNTU but the way all the packages are set up, and with all the cross dependencies, it seems like one ends up dealing with a rat's nest. In summary K3b 1.68->multisession fails, k3b 1.0.5, same backends->multisession suceeds.

Additional response to Schilly
"You thus cannot expect that writing to DVDs works at all"
......Even the new K3b will still burn single session DVD+R without any problem..there is only a problem with multisession DVD.

Also note from the original description:
"If one attempts to set the "Writing Mode" to TAO, or SAO on the "Writing" tab, one is unable to change the writing mode from "Auto"
.......Is this alone a bug?...Shouldn't the user have the ability to chose the type of writing mode they wish to have?"

Now to be fair this is suppose to be for reporting bugs on Ubuntu. And while the same exact behavior occurs on ARCH and on UBUNTU, I will admit I have a less than clean installation of UBUNTU with packages installed from many prior iterations of upgrades. To truly test the bug one should do a totally clean install of Ubuntu, use all default configurations, update, install K3B and test the behavior....and indeed the bug might disappear...I don't know. Sorry, but I do not have the desire to spend hours doing that. At this point I have a work around which works flawlessly...use ARCH and use the old version of K3B.

[TimGS (timspe)]

I have 64 bit Karmic - upgraded from a clean install of Jaunty.

Regressing to Jaunty's k3b 1.0.5 (see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1378136&highlight=k3b+multisession) provides a workaround and multisession now works.

This would imply k3b is at fault. On the other hand there are mentions on ubuntuforums of other packages failing to handle multisession in Karmic (sorry, I don't have the links offhand) and there are fingers pointing at cdrecord/wodim.

I hope the above is of help - I'm not knowledgable enough to give much more info offhand.

In the meantime I'm happy using k3b 1.0.5, even if it is a workaround as opposed to a bugfix.

Schily: I would suggest that using loaded language such as "wodim is a fork made from a more than 4 year old cdrecord version by adding plenty of bugs and by replacing the mature DVD support from the original cdrecord by something half baken" is not helpful. Factual points and practical suggestions would be helpful, and if this results in a case against wodim, and that in turn results in a more robust Ubuntu, then great. Secondly I have used DVD+R and DVD+RW for sometime, multisession no problems - in Ubuntu for over 2 years and before that in Windows (I think the package was called Roxio or Roxy). To me, and to the vast majority of the world who also happily burn multisession DVD+R that means they work. Telling people they 'should' be using DVD-R is not helpful.

-- Tim.