Template:Optical Media Testing

We test the basic ability of an optical drive to read data. As of December 2012, we have discontinued optical drive burn testing with Xfburn, as the software has generally been flaky.

Determine drive functions

• All drives should have CD read and CD write functions (CD-R/W).
• All drives should have at least DVD-ROM capabilities.

☐ Check the drive faceplate or Keeper label to see if your drive has DVD read and write capabilities (DVD-R/W), or just DVD read (DVD-ROM).
☐ Check the optical drive functions in the operating system

• Open a terminal and run /usr/lib/freegeek_show_cd_drives

☐ Make sure the drive functions listed on the optical drive faceplate match the Terminal output.

• You should see something like:

device: sr0
model: Optiarc_DVD+_-RW_AD-5540A
supporting: cdrom, cdrw, dvd, dvdrw

• If the functions listed do not match, ask your instructor for help.

CD and DVD read tests

☐ You will need two testing disks:

• CD-R or CD-ROM disk
• Commercial video DVD (movie, television show, etc.)

☐ Insert your testing CD, and wait a few moments. Confirm that the operating system can read the files on the disk.

• A file manager window should pop up, with the files on the disk.
• If the window does not appear, check Places for the disk.

☐ Repeat the test with a DVD.

• A media player should appear and the DVD should start to play. If it does not start then consult with your Instructor as this may indicate a problem with the DVD codec installation.