Wanted CD-ROM Info

[M. Smith]

                           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.