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Optical Drive

Use CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs as physical tokens with any optical drive! This unique reader type turns your disc collection into a library of launchable media.

Overview​

Optical drives provide a nostalgic and tactile way to launch games - insert a disc, and Zaparoo reads its metadata to determine what to launch. This is perfect for:

  • Retro gaming setups - Physical media for that authentic feel
  • Large game libraries - Organize games on labeled discs
  • PSX/PS2 authenticity - Use actual game discs with emulators
  • Custom collections - Burn blank discs with custom labels
How It Works

Zaparoo reads the disc's UUID (Universally Unique Identifier) and/or label, not the actual game data. You can use blank discs burned with any data, original game discs, or music CDs - each will have a unique identifier.

Hardware Requirements​

The support is based on the operating system's optical drive support, so any Linux-compatible drive will work:

  • CD drives - Basic CD-ROM or CD-RW drives
  • DVD drives - DVD-ROM or DVD±RW drives
  • Blu-ray drives - BD-ROM or BD-RE drives
  • USB external drives - Easiest to add to existing setups
  • Internal SATA drives - Work equally well

Just pick up any drive from your local electronics shop along with some blank discs to get started.

Driver Configuration​

Driver Details​

Basic Configuration​

Add to your config.toml:

[[readers.connect]]
driver = 'opticaldrive'
path = '/dev/sr0'
Finding Your Drive

On Linux, optical drives typically appear as /dev/sr0, /dev/sr1, etc. Use lsblk to list all block devices and find your optical drive.

ID Source Options​

The optical drive driver has a special id_source option that controls what identifier is used for token matching:

[[readers.connect]]
driver = 'opticaldrive'
path = '/dev/sr0'
id_source = 'merged'  # 'uuid', 'label', or 'merged'

ID Source Modes​

merged (default) - Combines UUID and label:

  • Token ID format: <UUID>/<LABEL>
  • Example: 2023-04-15-16-42-13-00/SONIC_THE_HEDGEHOG
  • Most flexible for matching

uuid - Uses only the disc UUID:

  • Token ID format: <UUID>
  • Example: 2023-04-15-16-42-13-00
  • Best for blank discs or when labels might change

label - Uses only the disc label:

  • Token ID format: <LABEL>
  • Example: SONIC_THE_HEDGEHOG
  • Best for discs with consistent labels
Blank Discs

A completely blank disc won't work - it must have data burned to it before the OS assigns a UUID and label. Even a single small file is enough.

Usage Examples​

Example 1: Using Original PSX Discs​

Launch a PS1 game using the actual game disc with wildcard matching:

Configuration:

[[readers.connect]]
driver = 'opticaldrive'
path = '/dev/sr0'
id_source = 'merged'

Mapping file (/path/to/mappings.toml):

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'id'
match_pattern = '*/SCES-01420*'
zapscript = 'PSX/*Crash Bandicoot*Warped*'

When you insert the Crash Bandicoot 3 disc (with label SCES-01420), it matches and launches the game!

Example 2: Custom Burned Discs​

Create custom game discs with specific labels:

1. Burn a disc with any data and label it GENESIS_SONIC

2. Configuration:

[[readers.connect]]
driver = 'opticaldrive'
path = '/dev/sr0'
id_source = 'label'

3. Mapping:

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'id'
match_pattern = 'GENESIS_SONIC'
zapscript = 'Genesis/Sonic The Hedgehog'

Example 3: Random Game Launcher​

Burn multiple discs, each launching a random game from different systems:

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'id'
match_pattern = 'RANDOM_NES'
zapscript = '**launch.random:NES'

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'id'
match_pattern = 'RANDOM_SNES'
zapscript = '**launch.random:SNES'

[[mappings.entry]]
token_key = 'id'
match_pattern = 'RANDOM_GENESIS'
zapscript = '**launch.random:Genesis'

Platform-Specific Notes​

MiSTer​

Optical drives work great on MiSTer! Both USB and internal SATA drives are supported.

Finding the device:

ls -l /dev/sr*

Batocera​

Check /dev/sr0 or use:

lsblk | grep rom

Troubleshooting​

Disc Not Detected​

  1. Check disc has data - Blank discs must be burned with at least one file
  2. Verify drive path - Use lsblk to find the correct /dev/sr* device
  3. Check permissions - Ensure user is in cdrom group
  4. Try different disc - Some old/damaged discs may not read properly
  5. Enable debug logging - Set debug_logging = true in config.toml

Wrong Game Launches​

  • Check your mappings - Verify match_pattern is correct
  • Test disc ID - Check Zaparoo logs to see what ID the disc reports
  • Use id_source - Try different modes (uuid/label/merged)

Drive Not Recognized​

# Check if drive is detected by the system
lsblk
dmesg | grep -i cdrom

# Check if device exists
ls -l /dev/sr0

Limitations​

  • Linux only - Not supported on Windows or macOS
  • Metadata only - Zaparoo reads UUID/label, not actual disc contents
  • No game data - You cannot launch games directly from the disc data (yet)
  • Requires burned discs - Completely blank discs won't work