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Virtual machines are great ways to use linux. Some virtual machines have a gui that can be used to attach and select removable devices from host to client. Oracle VM is Virtualbox. I don't run that but look in the documentation for how to attach removable usb devices.
I agree that a different OS would be a better choice.
Assuming that the device is Linux compatible and that you are using a 2.6.x kernel, it's no different from using the built-in optical drive for all practical purposes. When it has media in it, the system sees it and makes it available as a PnP device.
With older kernels, you have to put it in your fstab. I'll happily tell you how I learned to do that if you wish.
I've had several external USB CD and DVD/CD drives over the years and they've all worked flawlessly under Linux.
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