CDemu is a Linux kernel module that emulates a CD drive, allowing users to access disk images without the need for a physical drive.
For those interested in watching an SVCD, we highly recommend using MPlayer, which can play bin/cue images directly thanks to the patch developed by a friend and me (more information can be found under History).
The latest version of CDemu boasts several improvements, including greater support for multi-user systems. Any user can now mount an image in an empty CDemu slot, while only the user (and root) can unmount a slot that is already in use.
However, some users have experienced SMP issues, ranging from lock-ups to poor performance. We received a threading patch from a user that resolved the locking issues, but it is currently only compatible with versions 2.4. Before it can be added to CVS, it needs to be generalized to support 2.4 and 2.6. Unfortunately, none of the CDemu developers have access to SMP systems, so we can only perform limited testing. CDemu-0.6 final should resolve these issues.
Looking ahead, CDemu was originally created to support bin/cue images, but we would like to expand our capabilities to include Nero (.nrg), Disc Juggler (.cdi), Clone CD (.ccd), etc. We welcome any spare time and patches that can help us achieve this goal.
Installing CDemu is simple. Users can extract the archive and check out the code from CVS. However, they will need the source of their current running kernel, and /lib/modules/$(shell uname -r)/build/include needs to point at it. Users can then build the module and user space utilities before finally loading the kernel module. The process is well-documented in the help output.
In the latest release of CDemu, the software has received several improvements, including fixes for CUE, CCD, TOC, B6T, MDS, CDI, and NRG parsers, as well as new .CIF and .C2D support. The software now includes a simple kernel features detector, and very nice graphics have been added.
Version 1.1.0: N/A