Revision [9056]
This is an old revision of MultiSessionLiveDVD made by coolpup on 2010-08-26 08:40:07.
Multi-session LiveDVD
Creating a disc that is multi-session is desirable when one wishes data to be saved to the same live DVD that one has booted from. This means that one can carry an operating system and personal files all on one optical disc.
A multi-session optical disc is only created if it is specifically written to as 'open'. Being 'open' means that future, persistent data can be saved onto the same disc as opposed to some other additional partition on a hard disc drive or U.S.B. flash drive. Forum Thread
Using Microsoft Windows
Not all CD/DVD burning programs designed for Microsoft Windows provide the option to burn (write) in multi-session mode. One that does is the free CDBurnerXP∞. It is only available for Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista operating systems.Use this program for creating a multi-session live CD only. However, it is recommended to use DVD+R media for the creation of a multi-session optical disc. DVD has a superior specification than CD. DVD+R is superior than other DVD formats in terms of its archival capacity. Therefore the only circumstance under which one should use CDBurnerXP to burn a CD-R would be if one's optical drive is not a DVD rewriter. The following instructions are for such a situation:
- Download CDBurnerXP. Version 3 does not require Microsoft .NET Framework to be installed. Later versions do. Launch CDBurnerXP whereupon a dialog box opens which is the start-up screen (older start=up screen, newer start-up screen - varies depending on software version)
- select the option that refers to burning an ISO image
- From the File menu select Write Disk from ISO file...
- Select a low writing speed, e.g. 4x
- Ensure that Finalize Disc is not ticked
- Click Write Disc
Do not use CDBurnerXP to create a multi-session live DVD. To record to DVD a running Linux distribution (operating system) is required because one absolutely must use growisofs (combined mkisofs frontend/DVD recording program) to perform the recording. The Burniso2cd program in Puppy Linux uses growisofs.
In summary, for all Microsoft Windows users, the recommended course of action is:
- First create a non-multi-session live disc using BurnCDCC. In this instance any type of disc is suitable.
- Then use this newly created disc to boot into Puppy Linux so as to create a new, multi-session one using Burniso2cd (as shown above). This is possible even if one only has one optical disc drive since remember that Puppy Linux runs completely in R.A.M. and so the first live disc (the non-multi-session one) can be removed from the optical disc drive and replaced with a blank DVD+R for the creation of a multi-session live disc.
Using Linux
Puppy Linux has been a pioneer of the multi-session live DVD. To create a multi-session disc use the Burniso2cd program within Puppy Linux. This program will only write the ISO image to a blank disc, i.e. the disc is either new, or, as in the case of a re-writable disc, it has been erased first using the Pburn program.To start Pburn, within Puppy Linux go to: Menu > Multimedia > Pburn
To start Burniso2cd, within Puppy Linux go to: Menu > Multimedia > Burniso2cd
Erasing a disc using Pburn
Start Pburn; go to Burn > Blank CD/DVD; click Blank disc tab; select type of erasure Fast blank and select type of disc media; click Burner device tab and select your burner device (drive) that contains the disc to be erased, and un-check Eject disc after burn; click Burn button to commence erasing.
Writing an ISO image to disc using Burniso2cd
Start Burniso2cd; select the disc type, CD or DVD, that has been placed in the drive; then select the optical disc drive that contains the disc; and then navigate to the location of the relevant ISO file so as to select it. The Burniso2cd program will write the ISO image file to the optical disc. Leave the disc in the drive and re-start the computer.
Using Burniso2cd with a DVD it is always burnt "open", i.e. the option whether to burn as closed or open is not offered. This DVD can become either a multi-session Puppy live DVD or a non-multi-session one. This option is offered when one first boots the newly burned disc and subsequently proceed to shutdown for the first time: one will be asked where one will want one's personal data to be saved, either on the DVD or on some other partition, wherever that may be. The irreversible decision one makes here is what determines whether the disc is permanently set as multi-session or not. So if one wants a multi-session disc choose that personal data and session settings be saved to the optical disc only, i.e. select Save to CD, and not Save to file (the default option). Subsequently, each time one proceeds to shutdown at the end of a session, the option to save or discard that session is provided.
For CD-R/RW media the situation is different. The option is offered whether to burn as closed or open; so if one wants a multi-session CD-R/RW then one must choose to burn an 'open' disc. However, using a CD is less reliable at saving sessions at shutdown than using a DVD+R, another reason not to use CD for creating a live disc.
References
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=47416http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=348158&search_id=774806811#348158
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=51567
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=380764#380764
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=59173
