source file: mills2.txt Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 09:08:16 -0800 Subject: Re: Miscellaneous From: alves@osiris.ac.hmc.edu (Bill Alves) >Brian asked me to post a question about CD-ROM generating software >for a proposed intonation disk. Is there a greater need for MAC or PC >compatible CD-ROMs and is there any way to convert one format to >another without having to completely do the CD over? (I'm not sure >I understand the problem well enough to be asking the right question.) It all depends on the type of information, but, yes, there are ways to make a CD-ROM readable for both Mac and PC users. Of course, if you're putting software on the disc, then you have to decide on Mac or DOS (though both can fit on the same disc -- see below). Likewise if the format of the documents are particular to one operating system (such as files that have a Mac resource fork), then the disc (or volume) has to be OS-specific. However, if you are putting raw sound files or text files that are readable by either system, then the most straight-forward method is to use the ISO 9660 standard, a kind of "bare-bones" structure that is readable from both Mac and PC, but lacks the nice amenities provided by Mac HFS directories, such as long file names, spaces within file names, and icons. Commercial CDs rarely use ISO 9660 nowadays. High Sierra format is similar. Another method would be to split your disc into Mac and DOS halves, or volumes. Such a "hybrid" disc would have all the advantages of the OS-specific directories. The down side is that you would essentially halve the amount of space you have. However, I have heard of people who have had separate Mac/DOS volumes for their OS-specific stuff, and then a third volume with the raw data accessible to either. Thus your Mac software would be on one volume, your PC software on another volume, but both would use the same sound files and raw text files that take up the most space on the disc. I haven't seen such a disc, but it sounds like a good idea. Of course, both Mac and PC should be able to read CD-audio ("Red Book" audio) off a CD quite apart from the computer data. While all CD-R software should be able to write ISO-9660 and Red Book audio their ability to write hybrid discs may vary. These issues are discussed widely in the cd-publication mailing list (sorry, I don't have the address handy). Bill ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ Bill Alves email: alves@hmc.edu ^ ^ Harvey Mudd College URL: http://www2.hmc.edu/~alves/ ^ ^ 301 E. Twelfth St. (909)607-4170 (office) ^ ^ Claremont CA 91711 USA (909)621-8360 (fax) ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Received: from ns.ezh.nl [137.174.112.59] by vbv40.ezh.nl with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Mon, 18 Nov 1996 19:11 +0100 Received: by ns.ezh.nl; (5.65v3.2/1.3/10May95) id AA14189; Mon, 18 Nov 1996 19:12:28 +0100 Received: from eartha.mills.edu by ns (smtpxd); id XA16452 Received: from by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI) for id KAA03501; Mon, 18 Nov 1996 10:12:26 -0800 Date: Mon, 18 Nov 1996 10:12:26 -0800 Message-Id: Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu