This is especially helpful if you run your own servers. If you are presented with an error message or warning that the signature has changed or does not match the IP/domain you are connecting to you always want to verify manually.
So your e-mail/web client will show you an SHA-1 fingerprint like this:
"Could not verify this certificate because the issuer is unkown" or other reasons such as a mismatch in IP/domain.
It will also show you........
It really is as simple as:
cdrecord -v dev=/dev/sr0 pathtoyourisoimage.iso
-v is for verbose, I prefer it but if you don't you won't see as much output like below (I like to know the details and exactly what's happening)
dev=/dev/sr0 specifies the device name of your burner (they say not to use it and to specify some weird annoying device string but using the raw /dev has always worked for me and is how it should have been implemented from the start IMHO)........