mlsmith@nadc.arpa (M. Smith) (01/12/90)
Page -1- >We have some questions regarding CD-ROMs: > >1- Who makes CD-ROM mastering software ? Is there any under UNIX ? > Meridian Data Systems and Reference Technology sell turnkey sys- tems (MS-DOS based) which will produce nine track tapes. CD-ROM is system independent so if you can get your tar tapes read on the nine track drive you can make disks. >1a - What format do CD-makers want as input for the mastering of > the CD-ROMs ? > Can I give them a tar/cpio tape and they will make High > Sierra out of it ? > Which are the relevant standards ? > Do the de facto standards differ ? > ANSI labeled tapes in ISO 9660 format should be accepted by ever- ybody but PDO (Phillips) who require some kind of additional header as well as the CD-ROM image. Disktronix would even make a tape from an ANSI file tape if proper documentation was provided (I don't know about tar tapes). The easiest way to made a disk is to get a Yamaha WORM drive that makes CD-ROM compatible media and interface it to your UNIX machine. >2- where can we find a list of *all* currently available CD-ROMS? > (i.e. is there something analogous to "Books in Print" ?) > There will never be a total list because probably a majority of disks being made are limited distribution. A good way to receive information on all upcoming CD-ROM products is to join SIGCAT by contacting E. J. "Jerry" McFaul at the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA. >3- A lot of the CD-ROMs come out of the MS-DOS >world...consequently a lot of files are kept in the ARC format. >Is there any PD implementation of a program able to understand >the .arc files and unpack them under UNIX ? > Someone already answered this, but note that this is one of the confusions of CD-ROM. Some disks have been produced that can be played on both MacIntosh and IBM-PC computers, but as always a Mac executable is gibberish on a PC and vice versa. To get a PC software module to work under *NIX a compatibility window (or equivalent) must be used. >4- Which are good CD-ROM readers ? We have heard the Toshiba one >is meant to be the fastest (whatever that means). Is this true ? >Can you recommend one ? > For the drives we have, my preference is Hitachi, then Sony, and lastly Phillips. Since you have said you want SCSI, I recommend that you get a driver that caches at least one full track of the CD-ROM. >4a- Are there any CD-ROM jukeboxes ? (We need a SCSI interface >for all devices). I have talked to several WORM jukebox manufacturers and they say that the CD-ROM drives that use a disk carrier can be installed in their equipment. However, since the profile of the CD-ROM car- rier and the WORM cartridges are different, some modification of the existing hardware is required.