Installing Lacie 4L Lightscribe software on AMD64 Ubuntu/Debian systems (Updated x3)

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Caveat: Whilst the below works for me for those particular applications you may find that other 32-bit only applications require a fuller 32-bit environment, which you can get using a separate install of a 32-bit Ubuntu (often called a “chrooted environment”) – please see the corresponding Ubuntu Wiki page for more information.

I have a new AMD64 compatible system (an Intel quad core box) which comes with an ASUS DRW-1814BLT Lightscribe DVD burner. Problem is that I’m running a 64-bit version of KUbuntu Linux (as it’ll have 8GB RAM once the final sticks arrive) and the closed source Lightscribe software is 32-bit only and won’t install without a bit of prodding.

So, to help others, this is the hack that I did to install it successfully.

First I had previously installed the 32-bit compatibility libraries for AMD64 thus:

$ sudo apt-get install ia32-libs

Then I downloaded the Lightscribe System Software as a 32-bit .deb and the Lacie 4L package (which has a nice GUI) as the x586 RPM.

Then I installed fakeroot and alien and converted both of them to TAR files thus:

$ fakeroot alien -t lightscribe-1.10.19.1-linux-2.6-intel.deb
$ fakeroot alien -t 4L-1.0-r6.i586.rpm

Then I converted the two tar files straight back into .deb’s:

$ fakeroot alien lightscribe-1.10.19.1.tgz
$ fakeroot alien 4L-1.0.tgz

Then it’s the usual installation procedure of:

$ sudo dpkg -i ./lightscribe_1.10.19.1-2_all.deb
$ sudo dpkg -i 4l_1.0-2_all.deb

and it seems to work (though I have no Lightscribe media to test with yet!):

$ 4L-cli enumerate
Using /etc/lightscribe.rc
Drive path: /dev/sr0
Usable: 1
Full name: ASUS DRW-1814BLT 1.13 132
Model: DRW-1814BLT
Manufacturer: ASUS
Capabilities: monochrome
Drive inner radius: 21700
Drive outer radius: 58700

Update: I’ve since spotted that dpkg has a –force-architecture option, this may avoid the need for converting the lightscribe package.

Update 2: It works! I’ve successfully used the GUI to label a CD as a test.

Update 3: Paul Bailey has distilled the above into a simple recipe.

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26 thoughts on “Installing Lacie 4L Lightscribe software on AMD64 Ubuntu/Debian systems (Updated x3)”

  1. You’re our Saviour!! 😀

    Thanks a million. You really saved my life.

    Note: The fourth command should read..
    $ fakeroot alien 4L-1.0.tgz

    Otherwise worked out beautifully.

    Thanks once again

  3. WOW

    You have solved a problem I’ve spent the last 2 hours dealing with … Thank you!

    The Ubuntu Forums (http://ubuntuforums.org) have numerous threads looking for a solution to this problem! I looked but could find no solution.

    The –force-architecture option will work once you have the deb; however alien does not have such an option (that I can find) so you can’t go from rpm to deb … brutal.

    I would never have thought to go from rpm to tar and then to deb.

    Thank you!

    Now to see if I can actually create labels …

    Cheers!

  6. Thanks Derek, I’d managed to replace the wrong line there last time! Should now all be fine (though the version numbers will have changed as they’ve released new packages).

    I’d previously installed the ia32-libs for other reasons, which is why I’d missed that first time around.

    I’ve updated the text (again) so it should be correct!

  7. I got so close but yet so far. when I try to launch SimpleLabeler in the terminal I get error while downloading shared libraries ¨libpng.so.3: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory¨ 🙁

    Anyone has any ideas what is going on? Im fairly new to ubuntu and this is the point where it goes way over my head.

    The following link is the closest I get to potentially solving this, but itÅ› just an extract from a blog which I can not find the full version of. I have no idea whats going on and messing with lib files makes me nervous.

    http://www.startaid.com/comment/1456876/Techy-Stuff-»-Blog-Archive-»-Lightscribe-in-Ubuntu….html

    Any help (in baby steps) would be much appreciated!

    Cheers

  8. Sorry, I should have also mentioned when running lacie, I get a GUI but I don think it is working properly, I can add an image but thats about it (I’m assuming I should be able to add text somehow but there seems to be no way of doing this). This seems the least of my worries though since it doesn’t detect any drives either. I hoping this is related to the lib issue preventing the lightscribe system software from doing its job!?

    If it helps, I have an Asus A7C series laptop.

  9. Hi Dimitri,

    Looking at that application (which I’ve not come across before) I can it’s missing a couple of things:

    libQtXml.so.4 => not found
    libQtGui.so.4 => not found
    libpng.so.3 => not found
    libQtCore.so.4 => not found

    It’s probably worth trying to run this in a chroot’ed 32-bit install of Ubuntu which you can install into another part of the computer (even into your own home directory if you want), rather than trying to solve those library issues by hand.

    There is a document on the Ubuntu Wiki called DebootstrapChroot that explains what to do.

    Good luck!

  10. I have new installation of Kubuntu 7.10. I have a little problem. I have ASUS-DRW-1814BL. Now I have a problem with 4L-cli. Firs I download deb files and install them.
    1) sudo dpkg -i 4l_1.0-r6_i386.deb
    2) sudo dpkg -i lightscribeApplications-1.10.19.1-linux-2.6-intel.deb
    3) sudo dpkg -i lightscribe-1.10.27.1-linux-2.6-intel.deb
    this is easy.
    first application run and work super /opt/lightscribeApplications/SimpleLabeler/SimpleLabeler no problem with simlelabeler.
    But when I run 4L-gui looks that.
    4L-cli: error while loading shared libraries: libstdc .so.5: cannot open shared object file: No such file or directory
    this program runs but can`t find my DVD burner 🙁
    Can you help me?

    Cheers

  11. sorry I fix that problem. I vary stupid 😐 If any people have that problem . It`s simple use:
    1)$ apt-get install gcc-3.3-base

    2)$ apt-get install libstdc 5

    3)$ 4L-cli enumerate
    Using /etc/lightscribe.rc
    Drive path: /dev/hdb
    Usable: 1
    Full name: ASUS DRW-1814BL 1.13 139
    Model: DRW-1814BL
    Manufacturer: ASUS
    Capabilities: monochrome
    Drive inner radius: 21700
    Drive outer radius: 58700

    4)$ sudo 4L-gui
    Have a nice burn 🙂

  12. @Cypariss: glad to hear you solved that problem.

    @Dimitri: You mistyped your email address originally, I’ve fixed that up for you (luckily I’m from the UK and I know how to spell where you’re at).. 🙂

  13. $ fakeroot alien -t lightscribe-1.10.27.1-linux-2.6-intel.deb
    Warning: Skipping conversion of scripts in package lightscribe: postinst preinst prerm
    Warning: Use the –scripts parameter to include the scripts.
    lightscribe-1.10.27.1.tgz generated
    $ fakeroot alien -t 4L-1.0-r6.i586.rpm
    4L-1.0.tgz generated
    $ fakeroot alien lightscribe-1.10.27.1.tgz
    lightscribe_1.10.27.1-2_all.deb generated
    $ fakeroot alien 4L-1.0.tgz
    4l_1.0-2_all.deb generated
    $ sudo dpkg -i ./lightscribe_1.10.27.1-2_all.deb
    Selecting previously deselected package lightscribe.
    (Reading database … 133693 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking lightscribe (from …/lightscribe_1.10.27.1-2_all.deb) …
    Setting up lightscribe (1.10.27.1-2) …

    Processing triggers for libc6 …
    ldconfig deferred processing now taking place
    ebby@Legato-Bluesummers:~/Desktop$ sudo dpkg -i 4l_1.0-2_all.deb
    Selecting previously deselected package 4l.
    (Reading database … 133824 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking 4l (from 4l_1.0-2_all.deb) …
    Setting up 4l (1.0-2) …
    $ sudo dpkg -i 4l_1.0-2_all.deb
    Selecting previously deselected package 4l.
    (Reading database … 133824 files and directories currently installed.)
    Unpacking 4l (from 4l_1.0-2_all.deb) …
    Setting up 4l (1.0-2) …

    ||| Warning: Skipping conversion of scripts in package lightscribe: postinst preinst prerm |||
    ||| Warning: Use the –scripts parameter to include the scripts. |||

    T_T I dunno
    I tried to ignore it and just went on and everything said it was ok except I can’t get the gui to open up, it says command not found

  14. ok, finally got it running but the scripts are still screwed up
    there isn’t a preview of any image I want to use

    This is frustrating because I’ve used this before on a previous installation but automatix stopped putting lacie in their 64 bit version T_T

  15. I haven’t tried the lightscribe package at all, I’m quite happy with the 4L-gui for my limited requirements!

    With that I create the image I want to use in Gimp and then scale it in 4L-gui before writing it.

  16. hey i am fairly new to ubuntu and just built a new machine with a I/O Magic Dual Layer DVD/CD burner with lightscribe. i am running ubuntu gusty gibbon will your solution work for me?

  17. I’ve followed these instructions and got both the LaCie and the Simple Labeler running thanks to all this genius. The apps run fine, but when I actually try to burn, I get this error: A communication error with the LightScribe drive has occurred. Please restart the LightScribe Simple Labeler and try your label again.

    The drive *was* working just fine under Windows 2000, just the other day. I’m in the process of *sigh* getting another Windows partition up just to see if the drive has actually failed, or if it just hates Ubuntu.

    Anyone else have this issue?

  20. I am probably just new at these, but I followed the directions and everything seemed to go well. But I don’t know what to type in the terminal to get a program to start. I didn’t notice anything added to my applications either. Thanks
    Nathan

  24. hi, I run Ununtu 8.04 on one machine and Mint 5 on another. I like both for different reasons. However Ive followed the advice of this thread and whilst everything works ( both o/s the same) I find that the images sent to print on the Lightscribe drive are faint and blacks look like a washed out grey.

    So the question is: Is this the software / The media / The o/s’s / or is lightscribe just not very good?

    Yours in Linuxness:)

    ant.

  25. Hi Ant,

    Yeah, that happens for me too, I just do the image a second time and it gets good enough for my purposes. I’ve no idea where that issue is, or if that’s just how Lightscribe is (I don’t use ‘doze so I can’t verify if the same thing happens there too).

    The great thing about Linux is the choice! 🙂

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