8

I wish Kfloppy could format to DVD-RAM with ext2,DOS,Minix type file systems.These file systems are more compatible and much better suited for doing backups of data (mp3,jpeg,mpeg,etc) than UDF on DVD+/-R.The RAM disk is suppose to be a direct replacement to the floppy Disk with higher capacity 4.7Gib single sided or 9.4Gib double sided disks.So this would really be an update to a program that is badly outdated.
Another tab could be added for formatting a filesystem to an optical drive with options for that media easily.The way it is now you must login as root using the command line to format a DVD-RAM disk, but a user should be able to perform this action with Kfloppy.Once formatted a DVD-RAM disk will function the same as a floppy disk in Dolphin,Allowing simple drag and drop file writing,deleting and directory creating with split window mode to the disk.

"Create Bootable ISO DVD-RAM":

Kfloppy is missing the ability to create a Bootable DOS floppy Disk unlike Microsoft Windows floppy creator.This cannot be added in Linux at the moment.

However a much better option,a third tab can be added in Kfloppy that allows the creation of a Bootable ISO DVD-RAM using mkisofs.This would be great for Open Source Software as many installations of Operating System are downloaded over the Internet md5sum checked then written to DVD+/- R media in K3B before installation to Hard disk.Having a "Create Bootable ISO DVD-RAM" feature added in Kfloppy on third Tab would create a better Installation disk with fewer read/write errors (Better Media) Resulting in a better install of the Operating System to the hard drive.Kfloppy could automatically do the MD5sum check to the ISO file verifying the downloads complete before writing to disk no different than K3B does for the other (DVD+/-R) media.

I guess I'm just done with losing all of my paid for mp3 files to a constantly changing UDF file system for reasons of supporting a new High Definition video or now future coming 3d tv By Sony's Format and no regard to data being stored on the disks.Maybe I'm just doing something wrong,But i think it's time the computer industry supports it's own disk, there is a reason Fat file system can still be read by most computers,People need their Backups.DVD-RAM is widely supported in Multi Drives now with prices on media dropping.Seems like Updating Kfloppy should be done to support the Disks.

So, how does it work today? I have no DVD-RAM drive to try with so, can a DVD-RAM disk be used used as a regular drive once it has been formatted as root? I mean, is it a one-off thing per-disk that needs to be done as root or do you need root-priviliges even when copying files to it?

If it's the latter adding the asked-for functionality to kfloppy wouldn't help much, would it?

Yes,That's how it was intended to be used with a computer.
DVD-RAM has sectors imprinted on the disc,so no special software like k3b or Nero needed.Just create a hard drive type file system on the disc.

I have a Panasonic cartridge DVD-RAM drive SW-9576-C

After inserting disk,I login root (in Mandriva 2010, i go to configure your computer>type password>systems> administrator terminal) then use the umount command to unmount any file system currently on DVD-RAM.If new, no file system usually exists.I think New DVD-RAM is formatted in UDF but Mandriva doesn't see that file system without UDF tools.Next, i use mke2fs -F command with the device Path (/dev/sr0 my pathway to optical drive) formatting the disc without partitions.Once formatted, i mount file system (open and close tray letting auto-mount work)after it shows up as a mounted ext2 file system i open Dolphin as root from same terminal ,create a directory on the DVD-RAM ,then change the Directory user and group permissions from root to the user.After that has been done you can Drag and drop files as that user to that directory in Dolphin with split screen mode writing and deleting files and creating directories in that user directory with a DVD-RAM optical disc just like a floppy or hard drive device.

DOS filesystem is slower on DVD-RAM but can be viewed with Mac,Windows,or Linux,i use the mkdosfs -I command to format with DOS superfloppy format (Fat32 with no partitions) No folder needs to be created since DOS isn't the same as a Linux file system.

This is basically what Kfloppy does inside KDE from a user terminal to /dev/fd0 with some subtle differences in command options.

Where did my comment go?...

Bytman wrote:After that has been done you can Drag and drop files as that user to that directory in Dolphin with split screen mode writing and deleting files and creating directories in that user directory with a DVD-RAM optical disc just like a floppy or hard drive device.

Okay, so far so good. That's what I would expect. However, even if kfloppy was extended to do the steps you now do manually it still would need root-access to do it. A big step in the right direction to be sure, but as far as I can tell there is no way of accomplishing this for a user that doesn't know the root-password.

Also, please move the "Create bootable ISO" idea into a new topic. It doesn't belong in this one, since it's a different idea. One idea per topic only, please.

Kryten2X4B wrote:

Okay, so far so good. That's what I would expect. However, even if kfloppy was extended to do the steps you now do manually it still would need root-access to do it. A big step in the right direction to be sure, but as far as I can tell there is no way of accomplishing this for a user that doesn't know the root-password.

Also, please move the "Create bootable ISO" idea into a new topic. It doesn't belong in this one, since it's a different idea. One idea per topic only, please.

Root access problem solved by the person that created Kfloppy.All users perform the same actions i have done except they do it with user permissions in the GUI with Kfloppy,it just needs to see a different device.Do you need a root password to format a floppy disk with Kfloppy now? No

This is why setting this up in kfloppy to do this task is the best way.In the end, it would only access a removable optical media device along with the current floppy drive so the user could not harm the system in anyway.That's what's nice about having Kfloppy do the job.

"Bootable ISO DVD-RAM" is adding DVD-RAM support in Kfloppy.It's expounding on the same idea really in more detail.Much of this isn't a brainstorm idea as DVD-RAM is suppose to be a direct replacement of a floppy disk.It's really just updating the program because it's showing it's age. DVD-RAM has become less expensive and more widely supported with multi drives.I could just edit that into first post and maybe you can delete comment further down.


If you start Kfloppy in the window at the bottom you will see
found program mke2fs
found program mkdosfs
I am just using them to write to an optical drive in root.