Can't multisession

Discuss anything specific to using Puppy on a multi-session disk
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donde
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Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2006, 01:00

Can't multisession

#1 Post by donde »

Downloaded multisession iso onto Puppy machine. Used burniso2cd to burn DVD-R. See 5 files, just like on liveCD minus boot.msg. Tried to re-boot using new multisession DVD. Get all kinds of errors like "cannot read superblocks" , " unable to locate usr_cram.fs.". It's like Puppy is not writing to the DVD when shutting down. LiveCD works fine. HD has 3 unused Linux partitions. 2GB ext2, a 1GB swap, and 900 MB ext3. I see the ext2 used with liveCD. I've had success using USB stick to boot. I really don't what to look for here.
donde

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Flash
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#2 Post by Flash »

I burned my multisession DVD-RW of Puppy 1.0.8r1 about 2 weeks ago. It's worked perfectly through 15 saves and reboots so far. When I mount it in MUT I see the directories (folders) of the 15 saved sessions, plus 6 files:
  • Boot.cat
    Image.gz
    Isolinux.bin
    Isolinux.cfg
    Usr-cram.fs
    Vmlinuz

donde
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Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2006, 01:00

#3 Post by donde »

I see the same 6 files. I tried burn procedure 3 different ways., Graveman, TKDVD, and the command line growisofs with same results. I notice at the end of of burn, I see "closing session". I thought it should stay open. Also, are you you using DVD-RW. I'm using Fuji DVD-R. The burner is a Emprex 16X DVD . One of the messages says possible corrupted ext2 file system. But, how could that be when everything else works? (liveCD, USB stick) Is there a way of trapping all the stuff that streams by so fast, so I can read it?

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Ted Dog
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Some DVD's are marked write once, common in bulk packs.

#4 Post by Ted Dog »

Based on your experience, I would have to say I have had 2 manufactors DVD-Rs that ONLY burn single session regardless of burner, OS, or any settings to tell it otherwise, and I am the expert (sort of) that got the first DVD multisession working.
Both where bulk type DVD-Rs 25 in a spindle or more (I think 100cnt).
I have not had an issue with DVD-R in packs less than 6. I think it is a trend in bulk (some even state so on the label fine print, and they make it sound like a good thing :roll: enhanced for DVD video playback, etc)
One clue that this is happening is the request for new DVD on every shutdown, and the first burn has a inch or more burn ring near the hub. A normal DVD-R session of about 60~70 M is thin.
DVD+RW, DVD+R do not have the same problems, in Puppy 2 it would not matter what format you wish to use so get a small pack of DVD+RW and reuse it many times. I have had the same 5 DVD+RW from Philips have reused one for DVD development more than a hundred burns without a single bad burn.
DVD+R will be the quickest to use on multisession (except for DVD-RAM media, but not all own this type ) DVD+RW will offer the best flexiblity (full new reburns take only 5 seconds longer than a blank +RW) where DVD-RW will take a LOONNGG time (20-30 minutes) to prep for a reuse.

donde
Posts: 126
Joined: Mon 30 Jan 2006, 01:00

#5 Post by donde »

Well, you may be right. These Fuji's DVD-R came on spindle of 25. So, maybe I'll try another company. Which? Anyway, finally did CD-R to work in multisession. They are no name (maybe Great Quality) on spindle of 50. This is first time I've seen the action of asking questions to be sure to use the same thsi and that. But, now it doesn't work ! Can you believe that? It asked If I want to save and I said no, for I made no changes. Just wanted to shut down. Well, now it's stuck and will not finish boot, like it can't find something. I'm kind of tired of the whole thing. Like my pen drive much better ! Even though things can go bump in the night there too ! OH WELL, waiting for Puppy 2. Bring it on !

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Flash
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#6 Post by Flash »

Donde: I have one of those Emprex 16X DVD burners, on another computer, and some Fujifilm 8X DVD-Rs. If this multisession DVD will boot in that computer I'll burn a multisession DVD-R with the Emprex to see if I can duplicate your problem.

There are free programs for Windows that tell the manufacturer and type of DVD. I don't know of any such programs for Linux. Many DVDs (and CDs) are not manufactured by the company that sells them, and it would be very useful to more positively identify DVDs that work and don't work for multisession Puppy.

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Flash
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#7 Post by Flash »

I've had a touch of the flu for several days. Yesterday I finally got around to trying 1.0.8r1 multisession DVD-RW in the Emprex drive. It wouldn't boot. It booted from a NEC DVD drive in the same machine, and from a Sony DRU-710A in another computer, so I do not think it is the media. I attempted to burn a multisession DVD with the Emprex drive, but burniso2cd requires you to boot from the drive you're going to burn with. I'm going to see if there is a firmware upgrade for the Emprex on the internet.

Edit: found one here, but, while flashing the Emprex drive with the firmware upgrade Emprex_16x_DVD_ID_E1016_A091 apparently went without a hitch, it made no difference when booting Puppy. After a lot of other stuff that scrolls by too fast to make out, booting finally stops at this error message:
EXT2-fs: unable to read superblock
mount: Mounting /dev/loop1 on /root failed: Invalid argument
Failed to mount /dev/hda8 /mnt/home/cd on /root (where Puppy apparently found my old pup001 file, but couldn't mount the partition)
ioctl: LOOP_CLR_FD: No such device or address
Pausing for 20 seconds (why?)
Uniform CD-ROM driver unloaded
looking for usr_cram.fs on the CD
hdc: attached ide-cdrom driver.
hdc: ATAPI 48X DVD-ROM DVD-R CD-R/RW drive, 2048 kB cache, UDMA(33) (I think this is the NEC DVD drive)
Uniform CD_ROM driver Revision: 3.12
hdd: attached ide-cdrom driver
hdd: ATAPI 63X DVD-ROM DVD-R CD-R/RW drive, 2048 kB cache, UDMA(33) (I think this is the Emprex drive, the one with the multisession Puppy DVD-RW in it)
cdrom: open failed (same as before the firmware "upgrade.")
Uniform CD-ROM driver unloaded

Puppy was unable to locate the file usr_cram.fs.
This file is the entire /usr folder, as a compressed read-only f.s., and its absence means that X cannot be started, but you will at least get the command prompt.

Press ENTER key to continue:
Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks.

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