K3B in Fedora Core2 as standard user

[Dave Stevens]

About Rajko Albrecht's problems...

About six months ago I had severe problems with using k3b on my new cd/dvd 
r/w. I asked on this list and got some intelligent suggestions and finally 
went to the k3b list and got very specific advice from Sebastian Trueg, the 
maintainer. The matter was finally resolved when I updated the firmware in 
the device. The manufacturer provided updates on their site along with a 
Windows program to install it. I had to get a spare hard drive, set my 
computer BIOS to boot off it, install Windows 98 and then upgrade the 
firmware then reset the computer to boot FC1 (and recycle the Windows drive). 
As soon as I did that all the problems disappeared. 

The practice of shipping devices with beta quality firmware that can (in 
principle, and if one is knowledgable enough) be updated when the bug reports 
from the customers come in, is. unfortunately, widespread and responsible for 
a lot of grief.

So to people looking for k3b problems I suggest:

1 check out the sourceforge k3b pages and subscribe to      
k3b-user at lists.sourceforge.net

2 check the firmware version of your device. k3b produces excellent debugging 
output that will tell you this. Use this to check if you have the current 
version. The manufacturer's web site will perhaps have useful information 
about device firmware versions and upgrades. 

3 ask the manufacturer. They took your money, there's nothing wrong with 
sending an email to tech support and/or waiting in tech support hold hell to 
ask someone one-on-one (or at least there's nothing wrong with it if you are 
a masochist).

4 ask on the k3b specific list. Nothing wrong with asking here, but the more 
specialised list may produce better results. I found Sebastian to be very 
polite and he gave very specific advice and questions.

My two cents worth.

Dave
-- 
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        Civilization?
Gandhi: I think it would be a good idea. 
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