Linux System Administration

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Chapter 11: Backing Up Data

Setting Defaults

A number of cdrecord parameters can be configured. For instance, you can configure

cdrecord to recognize names for recording devices (so you don’t have to memorize

the device numbers), and you can designate a default device. To configure cdrecord,

log in as (or use su - to switch to) root. Then create a text file with your editor:

# vi /etc/default/cdrecord

We will put the following lines of text in this file to match the devices shown in our

previous cdrecord -scanbus output. You will need to change these values to match the

values for your own devices. Use any names you choose in place of

cd and dvd. The

whitespace between the fields on each line must be tabs, not spaces:

CDR_DEVICE=cd

cd=1,0,0 -1 -1 ""

dvd=1,1,0 -1 -1 ""

If your Linux kernel is Version 2.6, you will most likely need to specify the device

with the prefix

ATA:, due to a redesign of the driver. In this case, the configuration

file may look like this:

CDR_DEVICE=cd

cd=ATA:1,0,0 -1 -1 ""

dvd=ATA:1,1,0 -1 -1 ""

You can also set the default recording speed for each device, right after the device

number.

-1 indicates that the default value should be used. The next number is the

FIFO buffer size; once again,

-1 specifies the default on the Linux system. The last

item on the line allows you to pass a driver-specific option; we left it as an empty

string.

Newer versions of cdrecord support the option ...