I'm looking for a way to create a virtual drive that is fully
compatible to a common dvd/cd-writer. The idea is to offer the user
the ability to take advantage of the Finders and other applications
built in burn ability without the presence of a physically
connected dvd/cd-writer.
This doesn't make any sense. The "burn ability" that you're talking
about boils down to two things:
1) putting files into a disk image
2) writing the disk image to recordable media
If you don't actually want to write to recordable media, then the
first step can be achieved by creating a disk image and mounting it
as a normal volume.
Basicly disk images are exactly what I need with the exception that
usual disk images can not be used as burn device. Because I'm not
very familiar with OS X driver development, I'm not sure what would
be the best way to do that.
I don't think you either need to, or should, be writing a driver here.
One idea is to modify the I/O Kit registry of an existing disk
image to match the required filter criteria to make the image
available as burn device. Is that possible at all?
No.
The second idea is to create a custom driver (KEXT) for a virtual
drive (ATA/SCSI/Firewire or USB) to emulate a real DVD/CD-Writer
device. If so, on what level do I need to emulate the device?
I don't believe you need to do this at all.
Or maybe there is an easier way to make a virtual drive available
as burn device?
Again, what makes you think that you need a "burn" device at all?
= Mike
p.s. to anyone paying attention, yes, I'm aware that recent
incarnations of the DiskRecording framework no longer require the
intermediate disk image step; the list above is a conceptual
simplification...
