burn files to DVD with Java

R

Roedy Green

Since circa 1982, I have tried dozens of back up utilities and
utilities that claim they will let you burn files/backup to DVDs (or
other media) from collections of files.

The typical problems they have are:

1. bugs (Nero)

2. cannot work unattended. You must prod them along every step of the
way.

3. They want you to specify the files with a GUI. I want to run this
unattended.

4. The list of files to backup is not smart enough to deal with new
files or deleted files if you reuse the list.

5. They are dead slow. I would like to produce a disc-at-once.

6. proprietary formats that put the restore process in danger.

I have already written a front end to a backup utility that maintains
a zipped mirror of the files you want to back up called BackupToZip.

Perhaps I could finish it off with Java code to do the burn. I did
not see anything in a cursory google search. My own entry was at the
top of the list -- not much help. Has anyone ever heard of a Java
library for burning DVDs?

Failing that a script/file driven utility available for a suitable
number of Java platforms that could be exec ed to do the work.

--
Roedy Green Canadian Mind Products
http://mindprod.com
Capitalism has spurred the competition that makes CPUs faster and
faster each year, but the focus on money makes software manufacturers
do some peculiar things like deliberately leaving bugs and deficiencies
in the software so they can soak the customers for upgrades later.
Whether software is easy to use, or never loses data, when the company
has a near monopoly, is almost irrelevant to profits, and therefore
ignored. The manufacturer focuses on cheap gimicks like dancing paper
clips to dazzle naive first-time buyers. The needs of existing
experienced users are almost irrelevant. I see software rental as the
best remedy.
 
A

Andreas Leitgeb

Roedy Green said:
Perhaps I could finish it off with Java code to do the burn. I did
not see anything in a cursory google search. My own entry was at the
top of the list -- not much help. Has anyone ever heard of a Java
library for burning DVDs?

I doubt, you'll find a pure-Java library, but if a separate executable
written in C (or C++, not sure) is acceptable, then perhaps Jörg Schilling's
"cdrecord" might serve you. I'd expect it to be available also for windows.
You could then write a Java library to start that other program for the
actual work. ... or maybe even that already exists...

PS: cdrecord is supposed to be very portable.
 
A

Arne Vajhøj

Since circa 1982, I have tried dozens of back up utilities and
utilities that claim they will let you burn files/backup to DVDs (or
other media) from collections of files.

The typical problems they have are:

1. bugs (Nero)

2. cannot work unattended. You must prod them along every step of the
way.

3. They want you to specify the files with a GUI. I want to run this
unattended.

4. The list of files to backup is not smart enough to deal with new
files or deleted files if you reuse the list.

5. They are dead slow. I would like to produce a disc-at-once.

6. proprietary formats that put the restore process in danger.

I have already written a front end to a backup utility that maintains
a zipped mirror of the files you want to back up called BackupToZip.

Perhaps I could finish it off with Java code to do the burn. I did
not see anything in a cursory google search. My own entry was at the
top of the list -- not much help. Has anyone ever heard of a Java
library for burning DVDs?

Failing that a script/file driven utility available for a suitable
number of Java platforms that could be exec ed to do the work.

First: burning DVD's seems to be the mid-00's way - you should look
at an online solution today - and Java is perfect for that.

If you insist on using DVD's then I can see 3 roads forward
with Java:
A) find an open source burner software and call it via JNI
B) find something that exposes a writable DVD as a writeable
disk to the OS so you can move files onto it with standard
Java IO
C) let Java copy the files to a staging area and use a native
tool to burn from that area

Arne
 

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