cdrecord: problem in auto-formatting blank DVD+RW

[Giulio Orsero <giulioo@gmail.com>]

linux-2.4, cdrecord-2.01.01a09
PHILIPS ' 'DVD+-RW DVD8801 ' '4D28'
Manufacturer:    'MBIPG101'
Media type:      'W04'

Cannot upgrade cdrecord due to
http://lists.debian.org/cdwrite/2006/10/msg00098.html
however I don't see anything in the changelog that would solve my problem.
===============


cdrecord man page says "-format" is ony needed if you want to forcibly
format a DVD+RW since cdrecord will autodetect maiden DVD+RW media and
format it automatically.

In my experience cdrecord behavior is different:

1) running cdrecord on a maiden DVD+RW  (does not auto-format)

^MTrack 01:    0 of    1 MB written.cdrecord: Input/output error. write_g1:
scsi sendcmd: no error
CDB:  2A 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 1F 00
status: 0x2 (CHECK CONDITION)
Sense Bytes: 70 00 05 00 00 00 00 12 00 00 00 00 30 05 00 00
Sense Key: 0x5 Illegal Request, Segment 0
Sense Code: 0x30 Qual 0x05 (cannot write medium - incompatible format) Fru
0x0
Sense flags: Blk 0 (not valid)
cmd finished after 0.003s timeout 100s
cdrecord: A write error occured.
cdrecord: Please properly read the error message above.


2) Using "cdrecord -format" on a maiden DVD+RW

It will format the media OK, even if it says "Format was not needed" before
formatting.

Using generic SCSI-3/mmc-3 DVD+RW driver (mmc_dvdplusrw).
Driver flags   : DVD MMC-3 SWABAUDIO BURNFREE
Supported modes: PACKET SAO
Drive buf size : 655360 = 640 KB
Current Secsize: 2048
Format was not needed.              <========= NOTE THIS
Starting to write CD/DVD at speed 4 in real FORMAT mode for single session.
Last chance to quit, starting real write    0 seconds. Operation starts.
Formatting media
Formatting time:  139.033s

3) Using "cdrecord -format" on a DVD+RW already formatted with "cdrecord
-format"

Starting to write CD/DVD at speed 4 in real FORMAT mode for single session.
Last chance to quit, starting real write    0 seconds. Operation starts.
cdrecord: Medium is already formatted.
cdrecord: Cannot format medium.

I suggest the man page is updated to say that to forcibly reformat a DVD+RW
you need to use "-format -force", not just "-format" like it seems to imply.


4) Now I use a script that will check if a DVD+RW medium is maiden and then
use "cdrecord -format" before the actual "cdrecord -data ..." command.
Is there a way to see if a medium is maiden using cdrecord? Right know I use
dvd+rw-mediainfo and check for 
	Disc status: blank

Thanks
-- 
giulioo@pobox.com