Hi, all.

i need to back up large amount of data. can anyone suggest a good dvd burner that can be used in linux and windows. i prefer the latest ones and let's just assume i have enough money to spend.

where can i find a free software in linux to burn dvds?

i'm using RHEL WS4 (32-bit and 64-bit) and WindowsXP

Any LG burner should do fine, I have a DVDRAM GSA-4167B and works peachy! For burning I happen to use K3b, it rules.

I have a 'Benq DW1610' dvd rewriter
and I use 'K3B' to burn cd's and dvd's

K3B is included in my Ubuntu operating system for linux...check your redhat distro to see what progams come with it for burning discs.

I installed the dvd burner myself (no prior experience) and it works fine in my dual boot linux/windows machine.

sorry i failed to mention that i want an external DVD writer. What is the difference between "writer" and "burner"? Which one is capable of burning data and dvd-video?

yes, i just read about KeB...thanks. But is there a cross-platform version that i can use in Windows as well?

Right... so, external? Ok see if you can get your hands on the Sony DRX710UL or Memorex 32023288 (notice Im giving you models so its easier for you to find'em or get info on them), both good writers and come with USB/FireWire, personally have worked with the Sony and it rocks. As for the diff between writer and burner... well, none, unless Ive missed something for the past years.

Cross platform? As far as I know Nero is the only one with a Win and Linux version. But the linux version is really really really bad.

burner and writer are the same thing
my dvd burner came with a program called sonic and thats what i use to burn if I happen to be in windows...I am leaving windows behind so not much help if you need windohs information

here is a site you can check to compare programs linux vs. windohs

http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html

it has not been updated for awhile so expect better (more) programs that windows has to keep compete with...

find an external dvd burner you like and check linuxquestions to see if anyone has had problems with it (before you buy)

Thanks for all replies.

pandanuma, thanks for BenQ suggestion

mebrelith, i was just reading the features of this sony dvd before i opened this thread again.. So at least i know that it works in linux. I happen to read in sony webpage, though, that it supports windows and mac. Which linux distribution are you using?

Hey its the big old joke, most hardware only reads as compatible with win and mac, but here we are.
Anyway, as my user info states Im using Fedora Core 4 with KDE 3.5 and K3b supplied by the fine folks at kde-redhat team.

I do not recommend external drives because they have higher latency than internal drives. If you must use external, I suggest a USB and Firewire 5.25 inch enclosure. Then pick any internal DVD recorder. The brand that I recommend if you have money to spend is Plextor.

It does not matter what Linux distribution. It only matters what version of cdrecord, growisofs, and other utilities. Most people use K3B for GUI to control the utilities that is mention earlier. There is Nero for Linux but it sucks and you have to pay for it.

Benq and LG are POS recorders.

DVD discs can only hold 8 GB and it takes a long time to write a DVD. Also recordable DVD discs does not last a long time. I recommend using hard drives. They take a lot less time than making DVD disc and they can last much longer. The price of a hard drive now competes with using DVD discs as backups.

The best CD/DVD writing software for MS Windows is Nero, but is not as easy as K3B.

Thanks for the advice Electro.. Yes, it's ok to have external hard-drives and i already bought some. But sometimes we need to store data in a permanent location to avoid accidentally deletion, modifications, etc...Yes, i agree with you regarding Nero in windows..i will try to install K3B soon. By then, i may have decided to completely switch to linux.

mebrelith, sorry i missed your profile.. now, i will not hesitate to buy any hardware to be used with linux, because i know i can get a lot of support from linux community!!!!! we can always find a way to make it work, right? open-source community rules! oops, sorry i got carried away.