dvdtape - Write a DLT tape for manufacturing a Digital Versatile
Disc.
dvdtape --inputfile=file [options]...
dvdtape should be used to write directly to a Digital Linear Tape
to send to a DVD factory for manufacturing. It writes all of the extra data
that the factory needs in just the format that is expected. This includes
ANSI tape headers, DDP information, DDPMS information, "lead in",
and the DVD data itself.
- --combined-length=length
- When producing the first layer of a two layer opposite spiral track DVD,
the dvdtape needs to know the combined length of both layers to record the
length of the second layer in the leadin area of the first layer (opposite
track DVD's only have one leadin area for both tracks). This parameter
provides a way to specify that value. If this value is not specified and
is needed, it is inferred from the image contents, based on the assumption
that the data being written is a "fat" ISO-9660 file
system.
- --controlfile=file
- The file from which the DVD leadin data should be read. The DVD leadin
data is normally 32,768 bytes of data that contains information about the
physical layout of the DVD-ROM, such as the number of layers, number of
sides, and so on. This information does not appear as data sectors to
programs reading the DVD-ROM, but is used internally by the DVD-ROM drive.
If this parameter is not specified, dvdtape will attempt to create its own
leadin data by a possibly incorrect algorithm written from experiments on
a proprietary program that creates leadin data. Note also that leadin
deliberately omitted for the second layer of an oppositely oriented dvd
track.
- --diameter=8cm
or --diameter=12cm
- The physical diameter of the disc being made. 12 centimeters is the
default.
- --inputfile=file
- The file from which the DVD contents should be read. This file usually
contains an ISO-9660 or UDF file system. This parameter is mandatory. It
has no default value.
- --layer=0 or
--layer=1
- The layer number being written. The 4.7 gigabyte first layer is layer 0.
The optional 3.7 gigabyte second layer is layer 1. Note that you must
create a separate physical tape for each layer. (DLT tapes have enough
space to hold both layers, but the standard specifies two tapes.) The
default is layer=0.
- --layers=1 or
--layers=2
- The total number of layers that the finished disc will comprise. The tape
itself only contains information about one layer, but the total number of
layers is stored in the header information on each tape. The default
behavior is to guess the number of layers by assuming that the image is a
"fat" ISO-9660 file system, determining the file system size,
and setting layers=1 if the image will fit on one layer, and layers=2
otherwise.
- --length=NNNNNNNN
- The number of bytes to write for this layer of the DVD file system. This
data will be padded with nulls to make its size a multiple of 32768 (the
required block size for the image section of the tape). If length is not
specified, the default is to read the length, based on the assumption that
the data is a "fat" ISO-9660 file system.
- --master-id=string
- Set the master ID to the specified string, which can be up to 48
characters in length. This string is a field in the tape header
information, which sometimes displayed on the operator's console when the
disc is being made. It is useful for identifying tapes at the factor, and
apparently has no other purpose.
- --offset=NNNNNNNN
- Skip this many bytes before starting to read the DVD image. This is
usually used for continuing a file system image on a second layer. The
default offset is 0 if layer=0 and 4699979776 (the size of layer 0) if
layer=1.
- --outputfile=tape_device
- Write the output to tape_device. You can write the output to a plain file,
but the size of the tape blocks are 128 bytes in some sections and 32768
bytes in others, so you cannot write a proper tape later by simplying
copying that file to a tape device. The default is /dev/st0.
- --owner=string
- Fill in the "owner" field in the tape. This option appears to be
useful only if you want some specific information to appear before the
operator who is running the disc manufacturing equipment. The default is
an empty string.
- --readout-speed=2
or --readout-speed=5 or --readout-speed=10
- The leadin data contains a parameter that specifies a minimum required
readout speed for the DVD-ROM. It can be 2.52, 5.04 or 10.08 megabits per
second, which you can select by setting this argument to 2, 5, or 10,
respectively. The default is 2.52 megabits per second. As far as this
author can tell, there does not appear to be a way in the leadin format to
specify no minimum readout speed. This argument is only used when dvdtape
generates its own leadin data.
- --side=0 or
--side=1
- The side number being written. The first side is side 0. Note that you
must create a separate physical tape for each side. (DLT tapes have enough
space to hold both sides, but the standard is two tapes.) The default
value is 0.
- --sides=1 or
--sides=2
- The total number of sides that the finished disc will comprise. The tape
itself only contains information about one side, but the total number of
sides is stored in the header information on each tape. The default value
is 1.
- --track-path=directionfR
- The direction of translation of the second layer in the DVD. This argument
should have no effect for a single layer DVD, although it does fill in the
corresponding field in the DVD header information. For the standard
parallel layer arrangement, direction can be specified by the synonyms
"opposite", "out" or "outward". For opposite
track arrangment, direction can be "parallel", "in" or
"inward". The default is parallel if there is only one layer and
opposite if there are two layers. The legality of opposite orientation and
only one layer is unclear.
- --usertext=string
- Fill in the "user text" field in the tape. This option appears
to be useful only if you want some specific information to appear before
the operator who is running the disc manufacturing equipment. The default
value is an empty string.
Copyright 1999, 2000 Yggdrasil Computing, Inc. dvdtape may be
copied under the terms and conditions of version 2 of the GNU General Public
License, as published by the Free Software Foundation (Cambridge, MA,
USA).
Written by Adam J. Richter (adam@yggdrasil.com)