While the CD burner seems like a relic of the late 90s, there are still specific scenarios where learning how to burn CD on Chromebook is necessary. Whether you are archiving old family photos, creating a mixtape for a friend with a vintage car, or distributing physical media for a small business, the ability to produce a data CD or a music CD directly from your web-based device is more relevant than you might think.
The primary challenge users face stems from the fact that ChromeOS is a cloud-first operating system, relying heavily on web applications and Google Play integration. Unlike Windows or macOS, there is no native "Burn Disc" option right-clicking on a file. However, by leveraging the Linux (Crostini) environment and specific Android or web applications, you can effectively bridge this gap and utilize an external optical drive.
Preparing Your Chromebook for Disc Burning
Before you can burn a CD, you need to ensure your hardware and software environment is ready to handle the task. Chromebooks are diverse, and not all of them come equipped with USB-C ports that support external drives, nor do all support the Linux virtual machine.
Checking Hardware and Software Compatibility
First, verify that your Chromebook supports Linux (Crostini). You can usually find this in the settings under the "Advanced" section or by searching for "Linux" in the search bar. If you see an option to enable it, your hardware is compatible. You will also need a USB-C or USB 3.0 optical drive, as most standard USB DVD drives are plug-and-play for ChromeOS.
Method 1: Using Linux (Crostini) for Data Discs
This is the most robust method for burning standard data CDs or DVDs. It gives you full control over the file system, allowing you to burn documents, images, and any other file type just like you would on a traditional computer.
Setting Up the Environment
To begin, enable Linux (Crostini) via your Chromebook settings. Once the terminal window opens, you need to install the necessary software to communicate with the optical drive. Click the "Terminal" icon in your system tray and type the following command to update your package list and install the CD writing utility "wodim":
sudo apt update
sudo apt install wodim
You will also need to install "xorriso" for mounting the ISO image of the disc. Install it by typing:
sudo apt install xorriso
Burning the Disc
Once the installation is complete, plug in your USB optical drive. Drag the files you want to burn into a folder on your Chromebook. Open the Linux terminal and type ls /media/removable to locate the mount point of your external drive. Then, use the wodim command to burn the files. A typical command looks like sudo wodim -v dev=/dev/sr0 -data /path/to/your/files , replacing the paths with your specific directory locations.
Method 2: Creating Audio CDs for Music
If your goal is to create a physical audio CD for a car stereo or a home sound system, you cannot simply burn an MP3 folder. Audio CDs require a specific format where music is stored as uncompressed PCM audio tracks. For this, you will need to convert your files and use specific software.
