[RESOLVED - MAYBE] [UPDATE} Need help, please, with burning DVDs

[Ric Moore]

On Fri, 2011-04-01 at 20:21 +1100, Basil Chupin wrote: 
> On 31/03/2011 12:55, Basil Chupin wrote:
> > On 30/03/2011 02:25, Richard wrote:
> >> On 03/29/2011 08:24 AM, Basil Chupin wrote:
> >>>
> >>> I have been using k3b for years to burn video DVDs both 4.7GB and 8.5GB
> >>> without any problems - until this week:'( . I am using a Pioneer DVD-RW
> >>> DVR-110 burner which burns the full range of DVDs (except, of course,
> >>> BluRay).
> >>
> >> Basil, what version of K3b are you using? I'm using 2.0.1
> >
> > Ditto. The latest version is 2.0.2, with some bug fixes, but it is not 
> > available for Maverick, and when I tried to compile it from source the 
> > process collapsed with an error message.
> >
> >> and it works fine on the same platform as yours. I've had a similar 
> >> problem traceable to the permissions stuff found under Settings>Setup 
> >> System Permissions. sometimes an update diddles those things.
> >>
> >> At the K3bSetup page, my permissions are 660 on the device and 0755 
> >> on cdrdao and cdrecord and growisof. It recommends using 0666 on the 
> >> device and 4711 on the cdrstuff. I left mine alone and it seems to be 
> >> working fine, so far.
> >>
> >> Of course, it could be something as simple as your Writer simply 
> >> crapped out. Can you read cds and dvds?
> >
> > Initially I was most happy because, as you and rikona suggested, the 
> > problem appeared to lie with the burner itself and disappeared when I 
> > installed another burner from another computer after which I was able 
> > to burn, in succession, 4 DVD -R DL discs without any problems.
> >
> > But then the wheels fell off (well, almost) :-( .
> >
> > When I went to burn discs #5 and #6 the burn went to the end but then 
> > I got the 'normal' error messages with the first being "Unable to 
> > fixate the disc" :-( . However, the drive did NOT lock up AND the DVDs 
> > actually play normally!
> >
> > So, I don't know what the heck is going on and why.
> >
> > I spent some time yesterday going around trying to find a new burner 
> > but had no luck so ordered one online from "my favourite shop" which 
> > is interstate. Installing this brand new unit tomorrow will show if it 
> > is the device or some fiddle in Ubuntu/k3b.
> 
> Well, a new, "untouched by human hands", DVDRW (a Pioneer DDVR-118) 
> installed today and I burnt a DVD -R DL. Same result as I mentioned for 
> discs #5 & #6 above: "Unable to fixate the disk" :-( . So, it's not the 
> device but either k3b or some Ubuntu upgrade which was put thru in the 
> last 2 weeks. Back to the drawing-board.

Didja check to see if DMA was enabled? I posted a fix for that under the
heading of "DVD and "stuttering" just a few weeks ago. It may be
suffering from working too hard. After a year of abuse, my DVD works
great now. I would assume that playback fix would also benefit writing.
The poor thing is writing ...writing ...jerk, jerk, jerk ...writing. 
It suffers. So, just scroll down to the bottom of this link.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/228302
For me, it worked a charm, ...even better than a chicken foot. :) Ric

-- 
My father, Victor Moore (Vic) used to say:
"There are two Great Sins in the world...
..the Sin of Ignorance, and the Sin of Stupidity.
Only the former may be overcome." R.I.P. Dad.
Linux user# 44256