Package: k3b Version: 22.12.3 Severity: normal
Hello, I am reporting a reproducible and misleading behavior in K3b related to DVD writing *in simulation mode*. Summary When running a DVD burn with /simulation enabled/ (growisofs dummy mode), K3b reports a fatal error: |unable to WRITE@LBA=2056d0h: Input/output error | This error is displayed as a real write failure, although *no physical write is performed* and the medium remains untouched. As a result, the user is led to believe there is: * a hardware failure * a defective drive * a defective medium This caused me several hours of unnecessary diagnostics and repeated tests. Environment * Distribution: Debian 12 * K3b version: (Debian stable) * Backend: growisofs * Drive: TSSTcorp SE-S084B (2 MiB buffer) * Media: DVD-R * Burn speed: 3× Technical analysis The command line clearly shows simulation mode: |-use-the-force-luke=dummy | Therefore: * no laser is activated * no sector is written * no LBA write can physically fail The reported WRITE@LBA I/O error occurs at the *finalization stage of the dummy run* and is *not a real write failure*. Buffer indicators (RBU/UBU ≈ 99–100%) show that the data flow is stable and that a real burn would succeed. This behavior appears to be: * either a growisofs dummy-mode limitation * or an unfiltered backend error propagated as a fatal failure by K3b Problem K3b treats this dummy-mode artifact as a *real blocking error*, without: * clarifying that simulation was active * downgrading the message to a warning * explaining that the medium was not written This is highly misleading, especially for users with older drives or small buffers. Expected behavior One of the following would prevent user confusion: 1. Suppress WRITE@LBA errors in simulation mode 2. Clearly label them as /simulation-only artifacts/ 3. Change the final status to *“Simulation completed with non-fatal backend artifact”* 4. Explicitly state: /“No data was written to the medium”/ Why this matters * Simulation is meant to *save time and media* * In its current form, it does the opposite * Users may incorrectly replace hardware or discard media Conclusion This is not a hardware issue, not a media issue, and not a user error. It is a *UX and error-reporting bug* that should be fixed or clearly documented. Addendum – user impact clarification As an end user, this misleading error resulted in several days of unnecessary troubleshooting, including hardware diagnostics and repeated configuration changes, before it could be clearly identified as a simulation-only artifact. This highlights the real user impact of treating this condition as a fatal error rather than an informational warning. Thank you for considering this report. Best regards, Ludovic -- Ludovic Richard R. Téléphone et répondeur : 0(033)9 54 42 27 94 SMS et MMS, uniquement : 0(033)6 95 60 79 44 http://ludovicrichard.ruiz.free.fr http://compositionsludovic.free.fr
