SUMMARY I have created some ISO images with K3B of some old CD-ROMs, but after many attempts to mount them in various ways with no success (not even to a VirtualBox), I finally ran the file command on one, and it says: " lhs/off overflow 4294967295 0 zoombinis.iso: data " On the Hannah Montanah Linux ISO, on the other hand, it says: " hannah_montana_linux_x86_basic_edition.iso: ISO 9660 CD-ROM filesystem data 'Hannah_Montana_Linux' (bootable " It seems that the files produced by K3B are not in fact ISO 9660 files. What is going on? STEPS TO REPRODUCE 1. Insert a real CD. 2. Use the K3B copy feature, set to "Clone copy" and "Only create ISO." 3. Attempt to mount the ISO using ohto the system using the mount command, GNOME Disks, or the Dolphin menu option, or onto a VirtualBox. OBSERVED RESULT All programs will be unable to use the ISO, giving one error or another. The file command will not identify it as an ISO. EXPECTED RESULT The produced file is a true ISO 9660 file, with it's semi-universal compatibility. SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS Windows: X macOS: X Linux/KDE Plasma: Fedora 38 spin Plasma (available in About System) KDE Plasma Version: 5.27.4 KDE Frameworks Version: 5.105.0 Qt Version: 5.15.9
As it turns out, it is the "Clone copy" option that triggers this problem. The image saved from this format was never intended to be an ISO file, but it lets you save it as one, causing confusion. Using the option "Normal copy" creates a real ISO 9660 file. I suggest implementing using the extension specifying system of the file picker when saving this image, as right now it lets the user save the image with any extension.