Re: cd burning in gnome

[Miguel de Icaza <miguel ximian com>]

Hello,

> So there is some contention as to the correct way to implement CD
> burning inside nautilus/gnome-vfs for Gnome, and I was hoping to get
> some opinions from the community as to which is the better option.
> 
> Alexl thinks that a burn: vfs uri should only be used for temporary
> file-storage, and that a separate executable should be invoked to prompt
> the user with a dialog to begin burning and to show status.  The dialog
> will allow specifying options like burn speed, burner device to use, and
> a label for the CD.  The advantages here are simplicity of the burn: vfs
> method, and keeping cd-burning code out of gnome-vfs.
> 
> I think cd burning should be integrated with gnome-vfs, such that
> invoking a burn operation on a burn: uri will cause the cd to start
> burning.  Burning options like speed/label/audio-or-data should be
> passed as arguments here, instead of being locked up in a separate
> executable.  The advantages here are that cd-burning is 1) easily
> available to all applications, 2) that burning options, status, and
> cancellation can be controlled through code and 3) that the GUI is
> determined by the application.

I prefer the Alex Larsson approach for a couple of reasons:

	* It is not clear when CD burning would begin with the
	  burn: uri.  

	* An ioctl/command setup is suboptimal, because
	  the burning process might have to deal with exceptional
	  conditions like defects on the CD, choosing a label,
	  retrying the operation.

	  These conditions would require either an elaborate
	  callback mechanism/notification mechanism that is
	  not really needed.

	* I fail to see the advantage of putting the burning code
	  in the gnome-vfs.  Using `burn:' as a staging place seems
	  like a small code addition, but using it as the actual
	  burning process produces no benefits, and makes the GUI
	  for burning more complex.

	* It just does not feel right.  

Miguel.