Determine which directory you wish to use as the BASE directory. The BASE directory will become the root (the first) directory on the CD. The total size of all files nested below the BASE directory must not exceed the capacity of the CD (usually 650 MB).
Copy the following files into the BASE directory (this is required):
Place a blank CD into the CD-R drive. Be sure to place the shiny side of the CD down on to the tray. Also note that the pre-written CD is extremely sensitive and must not be touched on the shiny writing surface; handle the CD on the edge instead.
Press the Reset button on the front of the CD-R unit to clear any existing errors before you begin. After a few seconds you should hear a tone alerting you that the unit has been reset.
Log in to the computer that hosts the CD-R drive (ACS16.PHA.JHU.EDU).
Run the following scripts in order:
This will assemble the files and directories nested below the BASE directory in preparation for CD writing. A red light will begin flashing on the CD-R unit showing that an image of the data is being pre-written to the disk buffer on the unit. When the red light stops flashing and the script has finished, the mastering is complete and you may run the cutting script. Note: this script creates a temporary directory /tmp/makedisc in which to store setup files. This directory also serves as file-lock to ensure only one user at a time can access the CD-R drive. If an error occurs while the cdmaster script is running, the temporary directory must be removed before the script can be run again.
This will initiate the cutting of the CD. The data will be read from the CD-R disk buffer and burned onto the CD itself. The green status lights on the CD-R drive will begin to flash as the data is written. When the script has completed and the lights have stopped flashing for a safe amount of time (a minute or two), the CD may be safely removed and stored properly.