"wodim: It looks like 'driveropts=burnfree' does not work for this drive."
Maybe it's a bug in libata-based kernel driver?

probably fixed on .20 kernel please report success

now with kernel 2.6.20:

erasing a disc fails this way:

System
-----------------------
K3b Version: 0.12.17

KDE Version: 3.5.6
QT Version: 3.3.7
Kernel: 2.6.20-ARCH
Devices
-----------------------
HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4160B A306 (/dev/sr0, /dev/sg3) at /mnt/cd [CD-R; CD-RW; CD-Rom; DVD-Rom; DVD-Ram; DVD-R; DVD-RW; DVD+R; DVD+RW; DVD+R doppelschichtig] [DVD-Rom; DVD-R Sequentiell; DVD-Ram; DVD-RW Eingeschränktes Überbrennen; DVD-RW Sequentiell; DVD+RW; DVD+R; DVD+R Doppelschicht; CD-Rom; CD-R; CD-RW] [SAO; TAO; RAW; SAO/R96P; SAO/R96R; RAW/R16; RAW/R96P; RAW/R96R; Eingeschränktes Überschreiben]

Used versions
-----------------------
cdrecord: 2.1.1a03

cdrecord command:
-----------------------
/usr/bin/cdrecord -v gracetime=2 dev=4,1,0 speed=24 -tao driveropts=burnfree -eject -overburn blank=all -force

cdrecord
-----------------------
scsidev: '4,1,0'

scsibus: 4 target: 1 lun: 0
Linux sg driver version: 3.5.34
Wodim version: 1.1.2
SCSI buffer size: 64512
Beginning DMA speed test. Set CDR_NODMATEST environment variable if device
communication breaks or freezes immediately after that.
TOC Type: 1 = CD-ROM
Driveropts: 'burnfree'
atapi: 1
Device type : Removable CD-ROM
Version : 5
Response Format: 2
Capabilities :
Vendor_info : 'HL-DT-ST'
Identification : 'DVDRAM GSA-4160B'
Revision : 'A306'
Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-R/DVD-RW.
Current: 0x000A (CD-RW)
Profile: 0x0012 (DVD-RAM)
Profile: 0x0011 (DVD-R sequential recording)
Profile: 0x0014 (DVD-RW sequential recording)
Profile: 0x0013 (DVD-RW restricted overwrite)
Profile: 0x001A (DVD+RW)
Profile: 0x001B (DVD+R)
Profile: 0x002B (DVD+R/DL)
Profile: 0x0010 (DVD-ROM)
Profile: 0x0009 (CD-R)
Profile: 0x000A (CD-RW) (current)
Profile: 0x0008 (CD-ROM) (current)
Profile: 0x0002 (Removable disk)
Using generic SCSI-3/mmc CD-R/CD-RW driver (mmc_cdr).
Driver flags : MMC-3 SWABAUDIO BURNFREE
Supported modes: TAO PACKET SAO SAO/R96P SAO/R96R RAW/R16 RAW/R96P RAW/R96R
Drive buf size : 1053696 = 1029 KB
Drive DMA Speed: 10305 kB/s 58x CD 7x DVD
Speed set to 4234 KB/s
Current Secsize: 2048
ATIP info from disk:
Indicated writing power: 1
Reference speed: 0
Is not unrestricted
Is erasable
Disk sub type: Ultra High speed Rewritable media (2)
ATIP start of lead in: -11076 (97:34/24)
ATIP start of lead out: 359849 (79:59/74)
1T speed low: 16 1T speed high: 16
2T speed low: 8 2T speed high: 24
power mult factor: 4 5
recommended erase/write power: 1
A1 values: 66 4A 99
A2 values: 38 80 00
A3 values: 04 C4 A0
Disk type: Phase change
Manuf. index: 11
Manufacturer: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation
Waiting for drive to calm down.
Starting to write CD/DVD at speed 24.0 in real force BLANK mode for single session.
Last chance to quit, starting real write in 2 seconds.
1 seconds.
0 seconds. Operation starts.
Starting to write CD/DVD at speed 24.0 in real force BLANK mode for single session.
No chance to quit anymore. Operation starts.
Performing OPC...
Blanking entire disk
Errno: 5 (Input/output error), blank unit scsi sendcmd: no error
CDB: A1 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00
status: 0x2 (CHECK CONDITION)
Sense Bytes: 70 00 03 00 00 00 00 10 3C 30 00 90 02 00 00 00
Sense Key: 0x3 Medium Error, Segment 0
Sense Code: 0x02 Qual 0x00 (no seek complete) Fru 0x0
Sense flags: Blk 0 (not valid)
cmd finished after 47.838s timeout 9600s
wodim: Cannot blank disk, aborting.


and burning a data cd still fails.

But i can burn well using "brasero" and "xfburn". So it's K3B related. A k3b rebuild didn't fix it. But I doubt Karsten will fix old K3B before 1.0 release.

AFAIK brasero and xfburn are based on libburnia project.

xfburn does but basero is based on nautilus-cd-burner that depends on cdrkit.