[svlug] k3b, to erase or not to erase

[Skip Evans]

Hey all,

I have two servers here that every morning at 3am 
tar up and gzip all the sensitive stuff: client 
source code for projects, mysqldump'd databases, 
etc. for backup purposes.

Each morning when I get up I then use k3b to write 
them onto a CD-RW (I know, I could automate this 
process, but I kind of like the process of doing 
it manually because I then know it gets done).

I use the same CD-RW for one month. I assume this 
is a safe life span before a CD-RW goes south?

But anyway, my main question regards erasing the 
CD-RW. Only about 1/3 of the time does k3b tell me 
that it found data on the CD and prompts whether 
or not to erase it. Most times it goes straight to 
writing.

I'm very curious as to why it doesn't always tell 
me there is data there, since each write is 
successful. I've checked them on numerous 
occasions by pulling down a file I know was 
modified the day before and examining it for those 
changes. They're always there.

Does anyone know why k3b does not always prompt to 
erase, but just goes write into the writing?

Thanks!
Skip
-- 
Skip Evans
Big Sky Penguin, LLC
503 S Baldwin St, #1
Madison, WI 53703
608-250-2720
http://bigskypenguin.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Check out PHPenguin, a lightweight and versatile
PHP/MySQL, AJAX & DHTML development framework.
http://phpenguin.bigskypenguin.com/