Here's how to rip the entire DVD: dvdbackup -i /dev/dvd -o ~ -M That puts the DVD contents into a new subdirectory of your home directory (~). To then generate an .iso, use this command: mkisofs -dvd-video -udf -o ~/dvd.iso ~/[movie_name] If you want, you can alternatively only rip the main feature (see archlinux or sourceforge documentation). If you want a video file (e.g. .m4v) instead of an .iso, use handbrake after ripping the entire DVD (don't forget to install libdvdcss!).