Mint 18 Blank DvD not detected [SOLVED]

[Briand18]

Believe me, I've checked out many threads on this issue, and as often the case with these things there are a hundred different suggestions but no definitive answer. I'm simply trying to back up some data on DvD. However, the file system simply won't detect the blank DvD, although it will see previously written DvD/CDs with no problem, including playing commercial DvDs.

This is the first time I've tried to back up to DvD using Mint 18. It worked okay in 17, and I did a clean install of 18. As I recall in Mint 17 as soon as a blank disc was entered I would be asked what programme I wanted to use; now the disk whirrs around a bit, but there is no such programme prompt and the optical drive does not appear in file manager.

Any ideas? To repeat: there is no problem reading already-written disks, so it is not a mount problem. It is a 'blank-media-detect and do something' problem!

[MintBean]

What happens if you launch K3B or xfburn? Can they see the blank DVD?

Is the blank definitely compatible with your DVD drive (+r -r, etc?)

I know these are obvious and you've probably already checked, but just covering the bases.

[Briand18]

I've never had any problem with this brand before. Xfburn doesn't see it. I've not tried K3B as it's KDE only isn't it, and I'm using Cinnamon.

I'm into my fifth Mint Distro and the problems are NEVER hardware related, in my experience. It's always a software problem, and usually some kind soul has been able to guide me through using a terminal session, or come up with a suggested hitherto-unknown utility which does the trick

[jimallyn]

I've not tried K3B as it's KDE only isn't it, and I'm using Cinnamon.

No, K3b is not KDE only. I have it installed on Cinnamon and XFCE. You can install pretty much anything from the other desktop environments. Sorry, but I don't know the solution to the problem you are having. But somebody probably will.

[Briand18]

Well K3B doesn't see the blank DvD either. Useful to know I can use it in Cinnamon though. Thanks!

[Briand18]

SORRY - HUMBLE PIE SERVED IN DISH.

Maybe it is a hardware problem as booting the laptop in Windows 7 exhibits exactly the same problem ie reading from but not writing to the optical drive.

Bah, who uses CD or DvD for data storage anyway nowadays....

[richyrich]

This terminal command will give you your Optical drive information:

inxi -d

[Briand18]

Thanks so much. That could solve the mystery, if as indicated the drive is read only. It was an old (but not ancient) 64 bit Thinkpad I bought. Since my really old (2009) 32bit Dell Latitude had a functioning read&write DvD drive, it didn't occur to me that anything made later would only have a read-only optical drive. Can anyone confirm?

Mind you, it also came without built-in Bluetooth (I have to use a dongle) so perhaps Lenovo were really cheese-paring on costs with this laptop.

brian@brian-ThinkPad-T410 ~ $ inxi -d
Drives: HDD Total Size: 258.2GB (19.7% used)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: ST9250315AS size: 250.1GB
ID-2: USB /dev/sdb model: DataBar_USB2.0 size: 0.1GB
ID-3: USB /dev/sdc model: Flash_Disk size: 8.0GB
Optical: /dev/sr0 model: HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM DU20N
dev-links: cdrom,dvd
Features: speed: 24x multisession: yes
audio: yes dvd: yes rw: none
brian@brian-ThinkPad-T410 ~ $

[richyrich]

Yes, I have seen this too. I have also come across many with cd-burner/dvd player combos.
We seem to get this a lot in Canada . . last years releases sold as this years new stuff. And slimmed-down, dumbed-down, stripped-down products . . all for Greed & Profit !

[MintBean]

Clue's in the hardware name 'HL-DT-ST DVD-ROM DU20N,' DVD-ROM=Read only memory.