Point of .cue files?

[Tylerdurdened]

What is their point? I can always mount .isos and .bins without the .cue file so why are they so often included any way?

[DeaconFrost]

Certain programs use the .cue file as a table of contents and description of the actual .bin file. Open one up, as it is just a text file.

[Tylerdurdened]

Certain programs use the .cue file as a table of contents and description of the actual .bin file. Open one up, as it is just a text file.

So some programs (I'm assuming even popular ones) can't mount the iso/bin by itself and REQUIRE a cue file?

[DeaconFrost]

In the past, I have seen programs require the .cue file. However, I'm never seen an .iso file require one...only a .bin file. There have been programs that would take in the .cue and the.bin and output a single .iso file. It isn't really an issue for me anymore, as I only deal with .iso files.

[Fryguy8]

.cue files are also used to treat a single large media file (such as a large wav or flac file), into separate entities for the songs. instead of having 15+ .flac files, you have 1 .flac file and a .cue "table of contents" for the flac file. Most media players support this, and will convert back and forth to this style for you if you want.

[Tylerdurdened]

.cue files are also used to treat a single large media file (such as a large wav or flac file), into separate entities for the songs. instead of having 15+ .flac files, you have 1 .flac file and a .cue "table of contents" for the flac file. Most media players support this, and will convert back and forth to this style for you if you want.

I read up on that part on wiki and could see the reason behind that, but my specific question relates to torrent websites that include .cue files along with bin and iso files (I'm not sure they are included with iso's).

The most common method of using them is with Daemon Tools and I know for a fact you do not need the cue file to open the bin, so I'm just curious and confused as to why they are still included with every release.

[Met-AL]

I read up on that part on wiki and could see the reason behind that, but my specific question relates to torrent websites that include .cue files along with bin and iso files (I'm not sure they are included with iso's).

The most common method of using them is with Daemon Tools and I know for a fact you do not need the cue file to open the bin, so I'm just curious and confused as to why they are still included with every release.


Cue files?

Torrents?

Pirating perhaps?

[Tylerdurdened]

Cue files?

Torrents?

Pirating perhaps?

Why does it matter... I'm not advocating piracy, simply asking a question of file usage

[DeaconFrost]

If the actual image files open okay with the software that you are using, then you answered your own question. To test, rename one of the cue files to something with a different extension, like software.cue.old and then try to open the image files. If they open without issue, you answered your own question.

[l3ender]

Every time I've ran into a .cue file it's been in conjunction with a .bin file, and they've always been dependent on the other.

[MrGuvernment]

.cue = cdrwin :) back in the days, before ISO was standard, bin/cue in "the scene" was a standard, for many reasons, it was just an early format of making disks into images, but now other formats have caught on, although frankly they all suck (poweriso and ultraiso and crap) just use ISO now a days, it is most common and can be opened by anything more or less.

Many people have legit reasons to ask about bin/cue files, gets annoying people assume piracy, think out side of your own little world where other people might actually have a use, or had one for these things.

[Demon10000]

ISO files were around long before bin/cue files.

An ISO file is rather limited in what it can store. It can hold the contents of the disk, but it can't hold "special" settings that were used to protect the disk from copying.

Along came a company called Goldenhawk and their amazing software CDRWin. CDRWin was able to copy stuff that you couldn't think of copying with just making an ISO file.

Think of the BIN file as being the ISO, and the CUE file as describing the special stuff that is in the ISO that the format doesn't accommodate.

[Met-AL]

Many people have legit reasons to ask about bin/cue files, gets annoying people assume piracy, think out side of your own little world where other people might actually have a use, or had one for these things.

Yea, what other possible reason could be behind a combination of torrents and cue files? Oh yeah, those pesky Linux ISOs, oh wait, those are ISO files. ;)