dvd-ram-control

dvd-ram-control [--help] [--version] [--on | --off] [--the-feature[=0|1]] <device>

--help
    Display usage information

--version
    Print version and exit

--on
    Attach drive to DVD-RAM driver

--off
    Detach drive from DVD-RAM driver

--the-write-cache[=0|1]
    Enable/disable write caching (default: 1)

--the-read-cache[=0|1]
    Enable/disable read caching (default: 1)

--the-lock[=0|1]
    Enable/disable drive locking (default: 1)

--the-eject[=0|1]
    Enable/disable ejection (default: 0)

--the-test-write[=0|1]
    Enable/disable test write mode

--the-force-overwrite[=0|1]
    Enable/disable forced overwrites

--the-force-readonly[=0|1]
    Force read-only mode

<device>
    Path to DVD-RAM device, e.g., /dev/sr0

The dvd-ram-control command is a utility from the dvd+rw-tools package designed to manage the attachment and detachment of DVD-RAM drives to the Linux kernel's DVD-RAM packet-writing driver. This driver provides pseudo-packet-writing capabilities, enabling seamless file operations on DVD-RAM media akin to removable disks like floppy or Zip drives.

Primarily used with formatted DVD-RAM discs prepared via mkudffs, it allows mounting the media directly for read/write access without complex burning sessions. Run as root, dvd-ram-control --on /dev/sr0 attaches the specified device, activating block-level packet writing. Features like write caching can be toggled for optimized performance or safety. Detach with --off to release the drive for other uses.

This tool is essential for legacy DVD-RAM workflows, supporting drag-and-drop file management but limited to compatible drives and media. It interacts with the udf filesystem and requires no permanent kernel modules.

Requires root privileges. Only for DVD-RAM media and compatible drives. May conflict with UDF tools or other writers. Detach before ejecting media.

dvd-ram-control --on /dev/sr0
mount /dev/sr0 /mnt
[file operations]
umount /mnt
dvd-ram-control --off /dev/sr0

Relies on dvd-ram kernel module; load with modprobe dvd-ram if needed.

Developed by Andy Polyakov in dvd+rw-tools (circa 2001-2003) to support early Linux DVD-RAM packet writing amid limited native kernel features.

mkudffs(8), dvd+rw-format(1), dvd+rw-mediainfo(1), growisofs(1)