k3b/FAQ

Q: Compiling K3b fails with errors like this:
   base_k3badvanceddataimagesettings.cpp:185: invalid use of undefined type 
   `struct KComboBox'
   base_k3badvanceddataimagesettings.h:17: forward declaration of `struct 
   KComboBox'
A: The QTDesigner tool 'uic' is not able to find the kde widget plugins. 
   To solve this run 'qtconfig' and add '$KDEDIR/lib/trinity/plugins' to the plugin search path 
   (replace $KDEDIR with your kde base dir).


Q: K3b thinks my SCSI device is IDE.
A: If you are using the rpm from SuSE your version of K3bSetup is not able to set the
   permissions that K3b needs the devices to have. The SuSE guys seem to think messing with 
   permissions is too dangerous. It is recommended to always compile from source to have all 
   K3b features.


Q: Where has all the fancy graphic gone?
A: Most likely you installed K3b in the wrong directory. All KDE programs are installed in the 
   KDE dirtree (SuSE: /opt/trinity, RedHat: /usr). If you compile K3b from source it defaults 
   to either $KDEDIR or /usr/local. To install in the correct directory you need to specify the prefix 
   to configure like this:
     ./configure --prefix=`kde-config --prefix`
   That will install K3b relative to the correct path.


Q: The linking always breaks with the missing -laudio.
A: You need to install NAS.


Q: Where can I find K3bSetup2?
A: K3bSetup2 is a KControlCenter Module. You can find it in the System Administration section or start
   it manually with "kdesu kcmshell k3bsetup2".
   There also is a script since K3b 0.11 called k3bsetup.


Q: My writer supports writing at speed X but K3b shows Y as a max.
A: K3b determined the maximum writing speed the first time you start it. Since the speed reported by the 
   writer always depends on the mounted medium this may not be the real max. 
   To manually change it open the K3b settings in the device section and click on the value. You will 
   be presented with a spinbox which allows to change the speed.


Q: Writing fails with the following cdrecord message:
     "Cannot allocate memory. Cannot get SCSI I/O buffer."
A: Since kernel 2.6.9 suid root programs are not allowed to use the SCSI subsystem.
   To solve this issue either configure cdrecord to run without root privileges: chmod 755 /usr/bin/cdrecord
   or run K3b as root (which is not recommended but works also).


Q: Writing fails with the following cdrecord message over and over again:
     "Error trying to open /dev/hdc exclusively (Device or resource busy)..."
A: You are using a patched cdrecord version which tries to open the device exclusively which fails because
   your are probably also using automounting. The solutions are to disable automounting altogether (and this is
   the recommended solution as automounting can cause other more serious problems with CD/DVD writing) or to
   install a non-patched cdrecord version.

Q: My DVD drive supports 16X but K3B keeps burning at 1X! What's happening?

A: Your kernel most likely didn't apply optimal settings for your drive when it detected it. You can find out
   what are the current settings of your drive with the command "hdparm -v /dev/dvd":

   /dev/dvd:
    IO_support   =  0 (default 16-bit)
    unmaskirq    =  0 (off)
    using_dma    =  0 (off)
    keepsettings =  0 (off)
    readonly     =  0 (off)
    readahead    = 256 (on)

   The following options are known to maximize burning and playback performance:

     hdparm -d1 -c1 -a8 -u1 /dev/dvd

   To make these options permanent, a quick and dirty solution is to include the command in /etc/rc.local.
   Consult your distribution documentation for a tailored solution.

   Some drives have buggy DMA support. If you experience instability, leave these options disabled.

   Some useful references:
   http://www.togaware.com/linux/survivor/CD_DVD_Drives.shtml
   http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6921