I installed qpxtool. qpxtool can determine the properties of the blank disc! (See picture attached). A free size of 702 MB (359848 sectors). For reference I attached also the properties of my drive. I tested also GNU libcdio. This package can't read the blank disc! (Is be maybe obvious as it properly uses the installed dvd-rw-tools?). Please find the results underneath : cd-info cd-info version 0.81 i486-pc-linux-gnu Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 R. Bernstein This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CD location : /dev/cdrom CD driver name: GNU/Linux access mode: ioctl Vendor : HL-DT-ST Model : CD-RW GCE-8320B Revision : 1.04 Hardware : CD-ROM or DVD Can eject : Yes Can close tray : Yes Can disable manual eject : Yes Can select juke-box disc : No Can set drive speed : No Can read multiple sessions (e.g. PhotoCD) : Yes Can hard reset device : Yes Reading.... Can read Mode 2 Form 1 : Yes Can read Mode 2 Form 2 : Yes Can read (S)VCD (i.e. Mode 2 Form 1/2) : Yes Can read C2 Errors : Yes Can read IRSC : Yes Can read Media Channel Number (or UPC) : Yes Can play audio : Yes Can read CD-DA : Yes Can read CD-R : Yes Can read CD-RW : Yes Can read DVD-ROM : No Writing.... Can write CD-RW : Yes Can write DVD-R : No Can write DVD-RAM : No Can write DVD-RW : No Can write DVD+RW : No __________________________________ Disc mode is listed as: No information ++ WARN: error in ioctl CDROMREADTOCHDR: Input/output error cd-info: Can't get first track number. I give up. Jul 9 19:29:45 Ubuntu-Bernard kernel: [ 4433.070170] cdrom: This disc doesn't have any tracks I recognize! cd-drive cd-drive version 0.81 i486-pc-linux-gnu Copyright (c) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 R. Bernstein This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. The driver selected is GNU/Linux The default device for this driver is /dev/cdrom Drivers available... GNU/Linux ioctl and MMC driver cdrdao (TOC) disk image driver bin/cuesheet disk image driver Nero NRG disk image driver CD-ROM drive supports MMC 3 Drive: /dev/cdrom Vendor : HL-DT-ST Model : CD-RW GCE-8320B Revision : 1.04 Profile List Feature CD-RW Re-writable Compact Disc capable Write once Compact Disc capable - on Read only Compact Disc capable Core Feature ATAPI interface Morphing Feature Operational Change Request/Notification not supported Synchronous GET EVENT/STATUS NOTIFICATION supported Removable Medium Feature Tray type loading mechanism can eject the medium or magazine via the normal START/STOP command can be locked into the Logical Unit Random Readable Feature Multi-Read Feature CD Read Feature C2 Error pointers are supported CD-Text is supported Random Writable Feature Incremental Streaming Writable Feature Formattable Feature Restricted Overwrite Feature CD Track at Once Feature CD Mastering (Session at Once) Feature Initiator- and Device-directed Power Management Feature Vendor-specific code 101 Feature CD Audio External Play Feature SCAN command is not supported audio channels can be muted separately audio channels can have separate volume levels 16 volume levels can be set Ability for the device to accept new microcode via the interface Feature Hardware : CD-ROM or DVD Can eject : Yes Can close tray : Yes Can disable manual eject : Yes Can select juke-box disc : No Can set drive speed : No Can read multiple sessions (e.g. PhotoCD) : Yes Can hard reset device : Yes Reading.... Can read Mode 2 Form 1 : Yes Can read Mode 2 Form 2 : Yes Can read (S)VCD (i.e. Mode 2 Form 1/2) : Yes Can read C2 Errors : Yes Can read IRSC : Yes Can read Media Channel Number (or UPC) : Yes Can play audio : Yes Can read CD-DA : Yes Can read CD-R : Yes Can read CD-RW : Yes Can read DVD-ROM : No Writing.... Can write CD-RW : Yes Can write DVD-R : No Can write DVD-RAM : No Can write DVD-RW : No Can write DVD+RW : No CD-ROM drive supports MMC 3 Drive: /dev/sr1 Vendor : HL-DT-ST Model : CD-RW GCE-8320B Revision : 1.04 Profile List Feature CD-RW Re-writable Compact Disc capable Write once Compact Disc capable - on Read only Compact Disc capable Core Feature ATAPI interface Morphing Feature Operational Change Request/Notification not supported Synchronous GET EVENT/STATUS NOTIFICATION supported Removable Medium Feature Tray type loading mechanism can eject the medium or magazine via the normal START/STOP command can be locked into the Logical Unit Random Readable Feature Multi-Read Feature CD Read Feature C2 Error pointers are supported CD-Text is supported Random Writable Feature Incremental Streaming Writable Feature Formattable Feature Restricted Overwrite Feature CD Track at Once Feature CD Mastering (Session at Once) Feature Initiator- and Device-directed Power Management Feature Vendor-specific code 101 Feature CD Audio External Play Feature SCAN command is not supported audio channels can be muted separately audio channels can have separate volume levels 16 volume levels can be set Ability for the device to accept new microcode via the interface Feature Hardware : CD-ROM or DVD Can eject : Yes Can close tray : Yes Can disable manual eject : Yes Can select juke-box disc : No Can set drive speed : No Can read multiple sessions (e.g. PhotoCD) : Yes Can hard reset device : Yes Reading.... Can read Mode 2 Form 1 : Yes Can read Mode 2 Form 2 : Yes Can read (S)VCD (i.e. Mode 2 Form 1/2) : Yes Can read C2 Errors : Yes Can read IRSC : Yes Can read Media Channel Number (or UPC) : Yes Can play audio : Yes Can read CD-DA : Yes Can read CD-R : Yes Can read CD-RW : Yes Can read DVD-ROM : No Writing.... Can write CD-RW : Yes Can write DVD-R : No Can write DVD-RAM : No Can write DVD-RW : No Can write DVD+RW : No