cdemu

cdemu [--bus session|system] [-h] [-v] command [command-parameters]

cdemu is the command-line client for CDEmu, a Linux CD/DVD/Blu-ray device emulator. The kernel vhba module registers virtual SCSI optical drives. cdemu-daemon implements those drives in userspace with libMirage, and this client talks to the daemon over D-Bus.Users load cue/bin, MDS/MDF, NRG, CCD, TOC, ISO, and other images into a virtual drive, then mount or play the resulting `sr` device as if it were a physical disc. create-blank presents a writable CD-R, DVD+R, or BD-R so burning software can write a new image through the same stack.The client starts the user cdemu-daemon service through D-Bus activation when it is not already running. The default bus is the session bus, so each login session can have its own daemon instance.

-h, --help

Print help. With a command name, print that command's synopsis.

Print the client version and exit.

D-Bus to use when talking to the daemon. Default session, unless a config file sets otherwise.

Load an image into device (a number, or any for the first empty drive). Extra files are extra sessions of a multi-file image. --replace / --unload ejects a loaded drive first. --create (only with any) adds a drive when none is empty. --encoding string sets the text encoding for CUE and similar descriptors.

Load a blank recordable image. --writer-id is required (`WRITER-ISO`, `WRITER-TOC`, …; list them with enum-writers). --medium-type is one of cdr74, cdr80, cdr90, cdr99, dvd+r, bdr. Repeat --param for writer keys from enum-writer-parameters.

Eject the image. device is a number, or all.

Print whether each drive is loaded and which image it holds.

Create another virtual drive.

Remove the last virtual drive.

Print the kernel `sr` / `sg` mapping for each drive.

Show or set DPM (density/position) emulation. device is a number, or all.

Show or set transfer-rate emulation.

Show or set bad-sector emulation.

Report the loaded DVD as CSS-encrypted. Lets a deCSS-capable player play a raw `dd`/`readcd` dump that has no Disc Structure 0x01.

Show or set the SCSI inquiry strings (8 / 16 / 4 / 20 characters).

Show or set the daemon debug mask. value is a number (`0x01`), a pipe-joined list of numbers, or named flags from enum-daemon-debug-masks.

Same for libMirage, using enum-library-debug-masks.

List image parsers, writers, and filter streams the daemon supports.

List named debug flags.

Print the parameter sheet for one writer.

Print daemon and library versions.

The first existing file of `~/.cdemu-client` then `/etc/cdemu-client.conf` is read. --bus overrides it. Example:

$ [defaults]
bus = session

Command whose stdout is the password for an encrypted image. Strongly discouraged: the password is visible in the process list and is sent over D-Bus as a plain string.

Fallback password helper when stdin is not a terminal and CDEMU-ASKPASS is unset.

When set to a value other than `0`, password and error dialogs go through zenity instead of the helpers above. Intended for desktop "Open with CDEmu" actions that have no terminal.

The vhba module must be loaded (`/dev/vhba_ctl`). Without it the daemon fails to start and the client times out on D-Bus activation. Custom kernels need the DKMS variant of the module.Passwords for encrypted images travel over D-Bus in the clear.unload is an eject request. If the kernel has the disc mounted and locked, the image stays loaded until the filesystem is unmounted.The system bus needs extra D-Bus policy and is discouraged for ordinary desktop use.

CDEmu is written by Rok Mandeljc. The client has been a Python D-Bus front end since 2006 (GPL-2.0-or-later). Version 3.0 (2014) added image writers and blank-disc recording. Version 3.2 (2018) switched the Python tools to Python 3 and added Blu-ray profiles. The client is 3.3.1.

losetup(8), mount(8), isoinfo(1), genisoimage(1), wodim(1), cdrdao(1), udisksctl(1), zenity(1)

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