Hello All:

This is my last post asking for help for cdrw recognition on my box, which has rh 7.3 w/ kde on the desktop.

Here is my etc/grub.conf relevant stuff:

...
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda2 hdc=ide-scsi
initrd /initrd-2.4.18-3.img


Here is my etc/fstab:

LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1
LABEL=/boot /boot ext3 defaults 1 2
none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
/dev/hda3 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0

My problem is that I don't know what my cdrw is in /dev, so I cannot mount it.
It's ludicrous to have to wipe out a hdd and reinstall just so I can have a cdrw. I think it sucks, and certainly is a drawback for linux (hopefully newer versions have fixed this snafu).

It's on a par w/ MS's shortcomings!!

Please help w/ cdrw recognition.

ergo_sum

The instruction in grub;
kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.18-3 ro root=/dev/hda2 hdc=ide-scsi
is telling the system to use scsi emulation for the cdrw so hdc is no longer /dev/hdc but probably /dev/scd0.
If you check /var/log/syslog it will probably tell you what it device name it has allocated. You should then amend your fstab so that it mounts at boot time. Mine looks like this;
/dev/scd0 /cdrom auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0
and put a # next to /dev/cdrom

I don't have a 'syslog' under /var/log.

I do have it under: /var/lock/subsys

as well as:

/etc/logrotate.d/
/etc/rc.d/init.d/
/etc/sysconfig/

So my question is: eh?

Have a look at your syslog as root. There will be an entry for your cd along with the identification of the cd drive type. The entries under /etc are for creating the log during boot. If you only have one cdrw in your system then it's likely it is configured as /dev/scd0. You can also do from root cdrecord -scanbus which will return a value of 0,0,0 for the cd if it's /dev/scd0. You can then create the entry for fstab as above.
Your comments are quite interesting because if you installed a cdrw under M$ you likely have to buy software to write to cd's whereas linux is already capable from the command line. I seldom use a gui interface to write cd's prefering to use cdrecord.

What should I put in fstab.

I'd like to mount something on cdrom before trying anything else. After amending fstab will this be possible?

Anxiously awaiting your reply.

ergo_sum

you don't need an entry in fstab to mount something.
mount /dev/scd0 <mountpoint> such as
mount /dev/scd0 /mnt/cdrom
cd /mnt/cdrom
ls
umount /mnt/cdrom

for your fstab entry, change the /dev/hdc to /dev/scd0

Eureka!!!!!!

My cdrw is scd0.

Wow.
Thank you all so much.

Re: fstab:

LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1
LABEL=/boot /boot ext3 defaults 1 2
none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
/dev/hda3 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0

Should I change cdrom to scd0?

ergo_sum

Sorry, I got a little carried away.

re: fstab:

should I amend /dev/cdrom to /dev/scd0?

ergo_sum

no, just replace. or you can leave it the same, if you do the following
you can use /dev/cdrom as the device if you make a symbolic link
in /dev to /dev/scd0
rm /dev/cdrom
ln -s /dev/scd0 /dev/cdrom

then when you refer to /dev/cdrom, you will be referring to /dev/scd0

when a cdburning program asks you what the device is for burning, you
will still usually have to put 0,0,0 as cdrecord refers to scsi devices this
way. the command line would actually take dev=0,0,0

Well that'd work if I'm not planning on adding a cdrom. I've got the burner, but w/o the cdrom then I'd be limiting myself. I'd like to add a cdrom.
So, with all of that, what do I do?

ergo_sum

PS: I've managed to 'mount' and 'eject', and I've placed a cd on the tray. How do I get the tray to close?

ergo_sum

eject -t

your current /dev/cdrom is pointing at /dev/hdc isn't it.
if you add a cdrom drive as a slave to the burner, it will be /dev/hdd.
/dev/cdrom as it is would be useless.

I've got the burner, that's it. I DID have a cdrom, but it's disconnected. It started scatching all my cd's, so I installed the cdrw and disconnected the cdrom.

ergo_sum

the only thing special abou the /dev/cdrom link is that lots of software uses
that link for the cdrom drive. it doesn't matter whether it's a burner or dvd
or cdrom drive. there's nothing special about the mount points name either.
you can make it whatever you want. you can have it where ever you wish
also.
the fstab entries are for setting defaults. if it is set up correctly, you can just
type mount /dev/cdrom or mount /mnt/cdrom and mount will take the rest
from the matching line in fstab.

Maybe either of you can help me. I just (re)installed a version of Knoppix, WFTL Knoppix. The previous version absolutely refused to recognize my NIC, even though it would do so when run entirely from the CD.

I too have a CDRW that refuses to mount. My ect/fstab reads as follows:

# /etc/fstab: filesystem table.
#
# filesystem mountpoint type options dump pass
/dev/hdc2 / ext2 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/hdc3 none swap sw 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/fd0 /floppy vfat defaults,user,noauto,showexec,umask=022 0 0
/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto 0 0
# partitions found by Knoppix
#/dev/hdc1 /mnt/hdc1 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,uid=knoppix,gid=knoppix 0 0
#/dev/hdc2 /mnt/hdc2 ext2 noauto,users,exec 0 0
#/dev/hda1 /mnt/hda1 vfat noauto,users,exec,umask=000,uid=knoppix,gid=knoppix 0 0

I try to mount @ iso9660 and I get the following error:

"Could not mount device: mount: /dev/cdrom is not a valid block device"

I am using lilo, not grub. the (maybe) relevant line in lilo is:

append="hda=scsi hdb=scsi hdc=scsi hdd=scsi hde=scsi hdf=scsi hdg=scsi hdh=scsi

This refers to hdb=scsi.....

/var/log/syslog shows:

Nov 4 20:41:41 main_box kernel: hdb: ATAPI 52X CD-ROM CD-R/RW drive, 2048kB Cache

and

Nov 4 20:41:41 main_box kernel: SCSI subsystem driver Revision: 1.00
Nov 4 20:41:41 main_box kernel: scsi0 : SCSI host adapter emulation for IDE ATAPI devices

This seems to refer to the cdrw being set up as scsi emulation, i.e. scsi0 instead of cdrom

What do I need to type in bash to mount my cdrw? What do I need to change in /ect/fstab to mount it automatically when I log in, and keep it on the desktop?

Can anyone help?

TIA

Mattymoto

it's probably scd0. if the ide-scsi didn't work or isn't set up right, it's hdb.

you need a pre-existing directory, perhaps /mnt/cdrom
mount /dev/hdb /mnt/cdrom
or
mount /dev/scd0 /mnt/cdrom

you can't mount an audio cdrom if you didn't know.