NeroLINUX Review

Program Run Through:

The Main Work Area

Now let’s take a look at the main work screen of NeroLINUX

Once NeroLINUX has been launched you are greeted with the start screen, as seen in the screenshot below.

As we can see, the application opens with the main compilation window open, with the usual file browser on the top left window, the selected directory window on the top right. And the main compilation window placed at the bottom. This layout should be familiar to most users.

Compiling a disc is a simple task of just dragging and dropping files into the compilation window. As the files are added the disc capacity meter will rise just as it does in Nero on the Windows platform.

To the left of the compilation are a series of icons. (See screenshot below)

As we can see the icons are fairly self explanatory but we will go through their functions in any case.

• Main Compilation window:
  As we have already covered this opens the main compilation window
  
• Disc info:
  This icon allows you to enter a title for your compilation and artist/author. You can also use this window as a track editor when compiling an audio disc for example.
  
• Burn Dialog:
  This icon as expected brings up the main burn dialog, where you can choose the recorder and burn speed and if the disc should be finalised after burning or left open.
  
• Log Window:
  Displays an onscreen log of events taking place as a file is added to the compilation or the progress of a burn.

Main Menu Items

  Now let’s take a look at the main menu item functions.

  File Menu

• New Compilation:
  This opens a new compilation screen as expected ready for you to add you’re files to the compilation.
  
• Open:
  Allows a previously saved compilation to be opened for editing or burning.
  
• Save:
  As we would expect allows you to save a compilation for later use.
  
• Save As:
  Allows you to save the compilation with a different file name.
  
• Preferences:
  This allows you to set various settings within the program which are remembered for later use. (see screenshots below)

Lets start with the ‘common tab” Here you can change how the application behaves and enter a new serial number if required.

Next up is the ‘File Types Tab” which allows you too set various parameters for how file types should be handled.

The ‘Audio System Tab” Lets you select the audio system to use for NeroLINUX. You can choose between the default audio system or use an enhanced audio driver or indeed select no sound if this is required.

Lastly we have the ‘Misc Tab” This tab has only one option at the moment, this option will open a message box if a new file is added to a compilation. So we will skip the screenshot.

Edit Menu

The edit menu has the following options

• Cut:
  Allows single or multiple files to be removed from the compilation.
  
• Copy:
  Allows all selected files in the file browser to be copied.
  
• Paste:
  Pastes the copied files into the compilation window.
  
• Import Session:
  Allows a previously created multi session disc to be opened and added to the compilation.
  
• Delete File System:
  This option will delete the complete compilation and leave us with a clean window.

Go Menu

The ‘Go Menu” offers various shortcuts to most of the most commonly used windows within the application. This can be very handy once you have the hang of using NeroLinux and save a lot of time looking for the various options from the other file menu items.

Recorder Menu

The recorder Menu has the following options available.

• Choose Recorder:
  As expected this option allows you to select the recorder for use with NeroLINUX. (See screenshot below)

• Burn Compilation:
  This option burns a compilation to disc.
  
• Copy Disc:
  This option launches the ‘copy Disc” dialog which we will cover later on in this review.
  
• Burn Image:
  Allows an image file to be burned to a blank media.
  
• Erase Recordable Disc:
  Allows a CDRW or DVD RW media to be erased. (see screenshot below)

• Eject Disc:
  As you would expect, this option will eject a disc currently mounted in the selected drive.
  
• Disc Info:
  This option displays the current media information including media type, available capacity and all sessions on the current disc. In the case of an audio disc, this window will also display the audio track information. (see screenshot below)

Help Menu

The help menu comprises only two options.

• System Settings:
  This gives an overview of how your LINUX system should be setup in order to get the best out of the NeroLINUX application. It is perhaps worth mentioning there is no help file in the traditional sense. A full NeroLINUX manual is however included in the package and can be accessed from /usr/share/nero/docs/Manual.pdf.
  
  This will be a must for first time users of NeroLINUX.
  
  Let us also not forget that the cdfreaks forum is also home for support for NeroLINUX and is staffed by Nero Employees.
  
• About:
  This brings up the usual Nero about screen with credits etc. (see screenshot below)