AmoK CD / DVD Burning (formerly DP CD DVD Burner): Quick Guide & FeaturesAmoK CD / DVD Burning (formerly DP CD DVD Burner) is a lightweight, user-friendly optical disc authoring application for Linux and other Unix-like systems. It focuses on simplicity and reliability — offering the core disc burning functions without the complexity of large, feature-heavy suites. This guide covers installation, basic usage, advanced features, troubleshooting, and tips to get the most from AmoK.
What is AmoK CD / DVD Burning?
AmoK is a straightforward front-end for command-line tools (such as cdrecord/wodim, growisofs and genisoimage/xdg-user-dirs aware tools) that provides a graphical interface to create, burn and erase data CDs/DVDs, burn audio CDs, and write ISO images. It was originally known as DP CD DVD Burner; the rename kept the same mission: provide a light, dependable GUI for common disc tasks.
Key facts
- Lightweight GUI for burning CDs/DVDs on Linux.
- Supports burning data discs, audio CDs, and ISO images.
- Works with standard command-line backends (cdrecord/wodim, growisofs, genisoimage).
Why choose AmoK?
AmoK is ideal if you want a no-frills burner that just works:
- Fast startup and minimal dependencies.
- Simple, clear workflow for common burning tasks.
- Suitable for older hardware or minimal desktop setups.
- Good complement to file managers or desktop environments that lack integrated burning tools.
Installation
AmoK is typically packaged for major Linux distributions. Installation methods vary by distro:
- Debian / Ubuntu:
- Use apt: sudo apt update && sudo apt install amok
- Fedora:
- Use dnf: sudo dnf install amok
- Arch Linux / Manjaro:
- Available in AUR (if not in official repos): use an AUR helper or build manually.
- From source:
- Download source tarball, extract, then follow README for ./configure, make, sudo make install (you’ll need development libraries and dependencies like GTK and the backend tools).
Make sure you also have the backend tools installed: cdrecord/wodim (for CD writing), growisofs (for DVD+/-R and multisession), and genisoimage or mkisofs for creating ISO files.
Interface overview
AmoK keeps the interface simple and task-oriented. Main areas typically include:
- Project type selection (Data, Audio, Burn ISO, Erase Disc).
- File/folder area for adding content to data projects.
- Track list for audio projects (with simple drag-and-drop).
- Device selection and burn settings (burn speed, simulation, multisession).
- Progress and log window showing backend tool output.
Quick-start: Burning a data CD/DVD
- Insert a blank disc into your optical drive.
- Open AmoK.
- Select “Data CD/DVD” (or equivalent).
- Add files/folders via drag-and-drop or the Add button.
- Choose the target device and set options:
- Burn speed (choose a modest speed for higher reliability).
- Finalize disc or leave open for multisession.
- Click “Burn” (or “Write”) and monitor progress in the log pane.
- When finished, the disc will be finalized (if chosen) and ready to use.
Tips:
- For compatibility, burn CDs at lower speeds (e.g., 8x) and verify after burning if available.
- For DVDs, ensure the drive supports the disc type (DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, etc.).
Burning audio CDs
AmoK can create standard Red Book audio CDs from WAV, FLAC, or other supported audio files.
Steps:
- Choose “Audio CD” in the main window.
- Drag audio files into the track list; AmoK will order them as shown.
- If needed, trim or gap settings may be available (depending on version/backends).
- Choose the device and burn speed; slower speeds often produce fewer playback issues.
- Burn and verify (if option exists).
Note: AmoK typically expects uncompressed WAV or PCM streams for audio burning; if you have compressed formats (MP3, OGG, FLAC), ensure the application or your system has the necessary decoding tools or convert them to WAV first.
Burning ISO images and disc copying
To write an ISO image:
- Select “Burn ISO” or “Write Image”.
- Choose the ISO file on disk.
- Select the appropriate device and burn.
- Start the write process; verify if option enabled.
To copy discs, you can either create an ISO image of the source disc (using dd, readom, or similar) and then burn that ISO, or use a dedicated disc-copy utility together with AmoK for writing the resulting image.
Erasing rewritable discs
AmoK supports quick and full erases for CD-RW and DVD-RW media:
- Quick erase: fast, removes file system tables but may leave data recoverable.
- Full erase: takes longer, better for ensuring data is no longer readable.
Select “Erase Disc” and choose quick/full erase. Confirm before proceeding.
Advanced features
- Multisession support: Add data in successive sessions so discs can be incrementally updated (if you left the disc open).
- Simulation run: Useful to test burning without actually writing to disc (checks whether the backend commands would succeed).
- Verification: Some versions/backends support verifying written data against source.
- Command-line integration: Because AmoK uses system backends, you can complement it with manual cdrecord/growisofs commands when you need advanced options.
Common issues and troubleshooting
- Drive not detected:
- Ensure the user has permission to access the device (add to cdrom group or use appropriate udev rules).
- Verify the drive node (e.g., /dev/sr0) is correct and accessible.
- Backend tool missing:
- Check that cdrecord/wodim, growisofs, and genisoimage are installed and in PATH.
- Burn failures:
- Try lower burn speed.
- Use high-quality media.
- Check logs in AmoK for the exact error from the backend tool.
- Audio format errors:
- Convert compressed files to WAV using tools like ffmpeg: e.g., ffmpeg -i input.flac -ar 44100 -ac 2 output.wav
Alternatives
If you need a more feature-rich application or cross-platform options:
- Brasero (GNOME) — integrated with GNOME, more features.
- K3b (KDE) — very full-featured, suitable for advanced users.
- Xfburn — lightweight, for Xfce environments.
- Command-line: cdrecord/wodim, growisofs, genisoimage for scripting.
Comparison:
| Feature | AmoK | Brasero | K3b |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lightweight | Yes | No | No |
| Basic data/audio burning | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Advanced features (ripping, video authoring) | Limited | Moderate | Extensive |
| Desktop integration | Minimal | GNOME | KDE |
Security and data considerations
- Finalizing a disc makes it read-only; consider making a backup before finalizing if you need changes later.
- Erase operations are destructive; ensure you have backups.
- Optical media degrades over time; store discs properly and consider archiving important data on redundant modern media (cloud, external HDD/SSD).
Conclusion
AmoK CD / DVD Burning (formerly DP CD DVD Burner) is a compact, reliable burning front-end for Linux users who want a simple GUI that leverages familiar command-line backends. It covers the core needs — data burning, audio CD creation, ISO writing and disc erasure — without the overhead of heavier suites. For basic disc workflows, especially on lightweight or older systems, AmoK remains a practical choice.
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