dvd+rw-booktype

dvd+rw-booktype device [ booktype ]

The device argument specifies the path to the optical drive (e.g., /dev/sr0). The optional booktype argument can be one of DVD-ROM, DVD+R, or DVD+RW. If booktype is omitted, the current booktype of the media is displayed.

device
    The path to the optical drive containing the DVD+R or DVD+RW media (e.g., /dev/sr0, /dev/dvd). This is a mandatory positional argument.

booktype
    The desired booktype to set for the media. Valid values are DVD-ROM, DVD+R, or DVD+RW. This is an optional positional argument. If omitted, the command will display the current booktype of the media.

The dvd+rw-booktype command is a utility from the dvd+rw-tools package designed to manipulate the booktype field on DVD+R and DVD+RW optical media. The booktype is a piece of information embedded in the disc that identifies its format. Its primary purpose is to enhance compatibility with older DVD players and ROM drives that may only recognize discs identified as DVD-ROM.

By changing the booktype of a DVD+R or DVD+RW disc to DVD-ROM, users can often ensure these discs are readable on a wider range of hardware. It's important to note that for DVD+R media, booktype changes are permanent, meaning once set, the disc will retain that booktype indefinitely. However, for DVD+RW media, the changes are only temporary and will revert to the original DVD+RW booktype after the disc is erased or formatted. The command allows setting the booktype to DVD-ROM, DVD+R, or DVD+RW. If no booktype is specified, the command will display the current booktype of the media in the specified drive.

Limitations and Considerations:
Device and Media Compatibility: This command strictly works with DVD+R and DVD+RW media and requires an optical drive that supports booktype modification. It does not apply to DVD-R, DVD-RW, or other disc formats, and not all drives have this specific capability.
Booktype Permanence: For DVD+R media, booktype changes are permanent and cannot be reverted once set. For DVD+RW media, changes are temporary and will revert to the original DVD+RW booktype after any erase or format operation.
Guaranteed Compatibility: While setting the booktype to DVD-ROM is intended to improve compatibility, it does not guarantee readability on all older players or ROM drives.

For DVD+R media, setting the booktype is a permanent modification to the disc's metadata, which cannot be undone or re-changed on the same disc. For DVD+RW media, however, the booktype will automatically revert to DVD+RW after any erase or full format operation on the disc.

This command is exclusively for modifying the booktype field. It does not provide any disc burning, erasing, or formatting capabilities. It can be used on both blank and already written DVD+R/RW media.

The dvd+rw-booktype command is strictly limited to DVD+R and DVD+RW optical media. It will not function with DVD-R, DVD-RW, CD-R, CD-RW, or any Blu-ray disc formats.

The dvd+rw-booktype command is an integral part of the dvd+rw-tools project, primarily developed by Andy Polyakov. This suite of utilities emerged in the early 2000s, a period when DVD+R/RW technology was gaining traction as a writable DVD format, alongside the competing DVD-R/RW standard. A significant challenge for early adopters of DVD+R/RW was ensuring playback compatibility with the installed base of older DVD players and ROM drives, which were predominantly designed for factory-pressed DVD-ROM discs. The dvd+rw-booktype utility was specifically engineered to overcome this hurdle by allowing users to modify the disc's internal identification to mimic a DVD-ROM disc. Its inclusion and widespread use, often invoked implicitly by burning front-ends like growisofs, solidified its role in maximizing the reach and usability of DVD+R/RW media.

growisofs(1), dvd+rw-format(1), wodim(1)