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Ilja · Dec 10, 2004, 03:24 PM

I noticed that when I burn a cd in mac osx the session will always be closed. Is it possible to leave it open? If so: how?

Thanks

TETENAL · Dec 10, 2004, 03:57 PM

Yes, if you burn using Disk Utility or Toast.

Ilja · Dec 10, 2004, 04:01 PM

Ok, just found out how to do it using disc utility (should have searched better)

But this isn't a particular straightforward way to do it. I'm surprised you cannot configure it on the fly while burning with finder.

Annyway: thanks

Xeo · Dec 10, 2004, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by Ilja:
But this isn't a particular straightforward way to do it. I'm surprised you cannot configure it on the fly while burning with finder.

That sort of need isn't common enough to make it straight forward. 90% of people burning from the finder will want to close the session so they can use the disk. Having the option in Disk Utility seems the best way to keep the functionality without confusing people. The "power users" will know where to look, or come asking as you did.

Ilja · Dec 10, 2004, 05:43 PM

I don't agree; I think a simple option like 'leave session open' or something more descriptive for non-power users won't be confusing at all, but will make things easier and even attend non-power users on the option to burn multi-session cd's. You can even make the option hidden by having the 'expand button' (the downwards arrow I mean)

tooki · Dec 10, 2004, 06:31 PM

Most CD users don't even know that adding a session is possible. You also must realize that PCs deal with sessions very differently than Macs (and PC compatibility is important!), and that even on Macs, users get confused with multisession discs. They (rightfully so, I might add) get confused at why one physical disc shows up as multiple discs on the desktop.

I know I'd hate to have to try and explain to my mom what a "session" is.

So few users would ever use this that it really shouldn't be there. I agree with putting in the 10% of the features that 90% of the users will use 90% of the time. The leftover 10% can use Toast or Disk Utility.

tooki

CharlesS · Dec 10, 2004, 07:05 PM

Originally posted by Xeo:
That sort of need isn't common enough to make it straight forward. 90% of people burning from the finder will want to close the session so they can use the disk. Having the option in Disk Utility seems the best way to keep the functionality without confusing people. The "power users" will know where to look, or come asking as you did.

The problem is that making a disk image manually in order to do this is terribly unintuitive.

tooki · Dec 10, 2004, 07:16 PM

This is true. It wouldn't hurt for Apple to provide a Toast-style burning interface, too, for advanced users. (I could totally see it fitting into Disk Utility.)

But then again, what for? I know how to make multisession discs, and even so, it's something I've done maybe twice in the past 5 years. The Finder's single session burning meets most people's data burning needs.

tooki

CharlesS · Dec 10, 2004, 09:12 PM

Well, from working in the computer lab at the university, I can say with certainty that we have been asked this question quite a few times (why can't I add more files to a CD on these Macs? I can on my PC...).

Person Man · Dec 10, 2004, 11:38 PM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
Well, from working in the computer lab at the university, I can say with certainty that we have been asked this question quite a few times (why can't I add more files to a CD on these Macs? I can on my PC...).

Yes, but even then, you would have to put the files into a different session on the CD on the Mac (making another logical volume on the disc). On a PC, the current session is left open, and files are added to it until it is closed (or "finalized," as PC users call it). Such discs show up as one logical volume when mounted, because they only have one session on them. Such discs also refuse to mount on a Mac until the open session has been closed, as well.

I always tell PC users to finalize CDs that they intend on using to transfer files to the Mac, and it's the first question I ask them when they come to me saying, "I thought Macs could read PC CDs? This CD I made won't show up on the computer"

Cadaver · Dec 11, 2004, 01:57 AM

Originally posted by Person Man:
Yes, but even then, you would have to put the files into a different session on the CD on the Mac (making another logical volume on the disc). On a PC, the current session is left open, and files are added to it until it is closed (or "finalized," as PC users call it). Such discs show up as one logical volume when mounted, because they only have one session on them. Such discs also refuse to mount on a Mac until the open session has been closed, as well.

I always tell PC users to finalize CDs that they intend on using to transfer files to the Mac, and it's the first question I ask them when they come to me saying, "I thought Macs could read PC CDs? This CD I made won't show up on the computer"

I've not seen this - CDs I burn via Windows Explorer on XP mount just fine on my Mac. And the disk is left open as I could then add files again on Windows...

Xeo · Dec 11, 2004, 05:01 AM

Originally posted by CharlesS:
The problem is that making a disk image manually in order to do this is terribly unintuitive.

I had a reply typed up and then realized what you mean. You can't burn in Disk Utility without making a disk image of the items first. Hence the unintuitiveness. Yes, I agree and think Apple should simply allow you to burn from a folder the same way as you can create a new image from a folder.

Gavin · Dec 11, 2004, 07:06 AM

An alternative to toast is MissingMediaBurner.

It's not quite as easy to use as toast but is more intuitive than making a diskimage. plus it's free and can burn sessions. I use it to burn VCDs.

http://homepage.mac.com/rnc/

Angus_D · Dec 11, 2004, 07:54 AM

Originally posted by Xeo:
I had a reply typed up and then realized what you mean. You can't burn in Disk Utility without making a disk image of the items first. Hence the unintuitiveness. Yes, I agree and think Apple should simply allow you to burn from a folder the same way as you can create a new image from a folder.

Well, the whole merge of Disk Utility with Disc Copy was completely retarded in the first place.

tooki · Dec 11, 2004, 02:05 PM

I disagree, the merged utility works quite well.

Oh yeah, it's not just Disk Copy that got merged in, but ASR as well. It makes a lot more sense to have all the disk-related stuff in one place.

Also, you do know that in Disk Utility, you can open another Disk Utility window and have it do more than one thing at once, right?

tooki

Person Man · Dec 11, 2004, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by Xeo:
I had a reply typed up and then realized what you mean. You can't burn in Disk Utility without making a disk image of the items first. Hence the unintuitiveness. Yes, I agree and think Apple should simply allow you to burn from a folder the same way as you can create a new image from a folder.

Tiger reportedly will have a "burn this folder to CD" function.

Person Man · Dec 11, 2004, 05:01 PM

Originally posted by Cadaver:
I've not seen this - CDs I burn via Windows Explorer on XP mount just fine on my Mac. And the disk is left open as I could then add files again on Windows...

Certain versions of Easy CD Creator (Roxio's version of Toast for the PC) used to do this, especially if they defaulted to packet-writing mode. If you used that mode, you could write to the CD multiple times to the same session, but you could only read the CD on a machine that had Easy CD Creator installed. To get it to read on other machines you have to finalize the disc, which closes the session.

Angus_D · Dec 11, 2004, 07:03 PM

Originally posted by tooki:
I disagree, the merged utility works quite well.

Sorry, but a lot of the functionality got lost and is now only doable from the CLI. Not to mention the playlist paradigm really doesn't work.

They did two entirely different things. There was no benefit to merging them other than some dolt in marketing said "two utilities called disk/disc is confusing!".

Cadaver · 01:24 AM

Originally posted by Person Man:
Certain versions of Easy CD Creator (Roxio's version of Toast for the PC) used to do this, especially if they defaulted to packet-writing mode. If you used that mode, you could write to the CD multiple times to the same session, but you could only read the CD on a machine that had Easy CD Creator installed. To get it to read on other machines you have to finalize the disc, which closes the session.

True for Roxio Easy CD Creator.... But I'm not using any other utility but Window's built-in disc burning. Its not using packet mode - I do not have to "format" the CDs first. Disks mount fine on my Mac (no additional software installed), then I could add files to them in Windows if I so choose.
(edit - fix typo)

tooki · Dec 12, 2004, 04:58 AM

Originally posted by Angus_D:
Sorry, but a lot of the functionality got lost and is now only doable from the CLI. Not to mention the playlist paradigm really doesn't work.

What got lost? I can't think of a single function that was in either of the separate utilities that isn't there now.

And what playlist paradigm are you talking about? It's a sidebar, like the Finder has.

tooki

CharlesS · Dec 12, 2004, 07:18 AM

Originally posted by tooki:
What got lost? I can't think of a single function that was in either of the separate utilities that isn't there now.

Well for one, the ability to convert to any format other than read-only, read/write, compressed, and CD/DVD Master. That's one that's annoyed me for some time...

tooki · Dec 12, 2004, 01:13 PM

What additional disk image formats did the old GUI Disk Copy (on Mac OS X) support?

tooki

CharlesS · Dec 12, 2004, 04:47 PM

Originally posted by tooki:
What additional disk image formats did the old GUI Disk Copy (on Mac OS X) support?

tooki

Angus_D · Dec 12, 2004, 05:33 PM

Originally posted by tooki:
And what playlist paradigm are you talking about? It's a sidebar, like the Finder has.

Sorry, apparently it's officially called a "source list". I've always heard iTunes used as an example and they're playlists there, hence the mental association.

Angus_D · Dec 12, 2004, 05:40 PM

Oh yes, once they're in there, how do you remove disk images from the source list? Backspace, delete, clear don't work. No contextual menu item. Or menu item that I can see.

Only way I can see is using defaults...