dvd+rw-tools does not allow you to exceed the capacity of the disc.You need to have the dvd+rw-tools package installed, as well as the
cdrtools package. The dvd+rw-tools package contains the
growisofs application (which acts as a front end to mkisofs) and the
DVD formatting utility.
You can use DVD media to record data in two ways. The first way is much
the same as that used to record CDs in a session, and the second way is to
record the data as a true file system, using packet writing.
Session Writing
To record data in a session, you use a two-phase process:
- Format the disc with dvd+rw-format /dev/scd0 (which is
necessary only the first time you use a disc, where /dev/scd0 is the
device name for your drive). - Write your data to the disc with growisofs -Z /dev/scd0 -R -
J /your_files.
The growisofs command simply streams the data to the disc. For
subsequent sessions, use the -M argument rather than -Z. The -Z argument is
used only for the initial session recording; if you use the -Z argument on an
already used disc, it erases the existing files.
CAUTION
Some DVDs come preformatted; formatting them again when you use them
for the first time can make the DVDs useless. Always be sure to carefully
read the packaging your DVD comes in to ensure that you are not about to
create another coaster.
TIP
Writing a first session of at least 1GB helps maintain compatibility of your
recorded data with other optical drives. DVD players calibrate themselves
by attempting to read from specific locations on the disc; you need data
there for the drive to read it and calibrate itself.
Also, because of limitations to the ISO9660 file system in Linux, do not
start new sessions of a multisession DVD that would create a directory past
the 4GB boundary. If you do so, it causes the offsets used to point to the
files to “wrap around” and point to the wrong files.