---
name: "cdctrl"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cdtool"
version: "2.1.8-release-8"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cdctrl"
---

# cdctrl(1)

command line CDROM control

## NAME

cdctrl - command line CDROM control

## SYNOPSIS

```
cdctrl  [device]
cdctrl  -c [device]
cdctrl  -c
cdctrl  [-V|-?|-h]
```

## DESCRIPTION

*cdctrl* command is a program that opens a CDROM device and may be used for  interactive control of the CDROM including play starting at a track,  next track, previous track, stop, pause, display info, display  CDROM status, and display CDROM directory.  This program may be used as a daemon to control an audio CDROM device.

The commands to the  *cdctrl* command are:

- **device**

  Open CDROM device.

- **-V**

  Print out version and build information.

- **-h**

  Display help.

- **-v**

  Display help.

- **-D**

  Enable runtime debugging.

- **-c**

  Output CR-LF at end of each line, not LF.

By default,  *cdctrl* opens */dev/cdrom*, but does not start playing.  Output is to standard output with each line terminated by a linefeed (LF).

Commands to *cdctrl* are:

- **1**

  Play first track, start playing.

- **s**

  Stop playing.

- **p**

  Pause playing.

- **r**

  Resume playing.

- **e**

  Eject CDROM.

- **c**

  Close CDROM tray.

- **i**

  Display info string.

- **d**

  Display directory.

- **-**

  Play previous track.

- **+**

  Play next track.  When on last track, play first track.

- **\[1..99\]**

  Play track **1..99**.

- **?**

  Display help screen.

- **q**

  Quit.

Each command results in one or multiple lines of output to *stdout*, followed by an *info* string, followed by *END*.

The format of the info string is:

*CMD cmd-name cd-status track abs-time rel-time*

  cmd-name  := {play, stop, ... quit} from above list\
   cd-status := {invalid, play, paused}\
   cd-status += {completed, error, no\_status}\
   track     := {1..99} CD track\
   abs-time  := HH:MM:SS elapsed since CD start\
   rel-time  := HH:MM:SS elapsed since track start

## FILES

**/dev/cdrom** - default cdrom device

## ENVIRONMENT

**CDTOOLDEV** - cdrom device, overrides compile time defaults

## SEE ALSO

[cdplay(1)](/cdplay/1.md)

## AUTHORS

```
Main code:
Thomas Insel <tinsel@tinsel.org>
Enhancements:
Sven Oliver Moll <smol0075@rz.uni-hildesheim.de>
cdctrl extensions:
Wade Hampton <whampton@staffnet.com>
```