I am very very new so please bear with me. I have downloaded PCLinuxOS and have installed it as the only OS on the system. I have 2 cd drives 1 is dvd rom 2 is cdr/rw. The computer sees the dvd to boot from the disk, but then I look in my computer and it shows only the hard drive.This is also the case when I boot from the hard drive.If I insert a disk such as a comercial dvd or audio disk sometimes the system will lock up until I remove the disk from the drive.Do I have a configuration problem or maybe I have a corrupted install disk? I have run the program from the disk on another computer and the cd's are are missing there also. Any help would be appreciated.I really want to try to use Linux.

if your cd drive isnt being noticed, it probably isnt in your fstab.

check /etc/fstab to see what in there. you may need to create and entry for your cd drive.

Welcome to LQ! The CD device will only be recognized when a data CD is present and has been mounted. In other words, if you're doing a directory listing, and the CD is empty, there would be nothing to list, so it may appear that the CD "isn't there". Similarly, because an audio CD lacks a valid file system, it likewise still will appear as empty, even though you've got a music CD in there.

Try putting a data CD in the drive then manually mounting it. Once you've done that, the CD drive should appear in the directory listing. It's possible we're not understanding your question properly, please post back with more info if so

The cd drives are listed in /ect/fstab. If I goto my computer,storage devices. Then I have 2 icons these are the 2 partitions created during install.There are no other icons present there. If I insert a data disk into a cd drive then the systems freezes. I need to be able to access the drives at least to transfer data from disks.

can you post the fstab file?

I can display the fstab file.And I can edit it. I do not understand "post". I am the only one I know who is using or has used Linux.The tutorials I have found do not seem to address the problem I am having.The getting started file says to just put a disk in the drive but if I do the system freezes.

by post i meant copy the file and paste its contents here in this thread so others can look at it and see if its being mounted properly.

Is the following summary correct: You have installed Linux on your machine, and it is operating normally, meaning you can get to the Internet, run commands, start applications, etc. Once you start the machine, Linux boots up, and everything is fine until you attempt to insert a disk into the CD drive, which causes the system to lock up.

If that's correct, then I'd ask the following:

1. What is your CPU and how much RAM do you have? Maybe the "hang" is due to an older/smaller PC needing more time to access the CD.
2. What CD are you putting into the drive? If it's one you've burned, what's on it and about how many megs of data are on it?
3. Since you have 2 CD drives, are you sure they are jumpered correctly? Assuming that your hard drive is the primary master, and the CD drive you are putting the disk into is on the same ribbon cable (aka IDE channel) then the CD drive needs to be the slave. If both CD drives are on the secondary ribbon cable (IDE channel) then one needs to be the master and the other the slave. If you're using "cable select", try making one the master and one the slave.

As nadroj said, it would also be helpful to post your fstab (which will be in the /etc directory) and "posting the contents" simply means what was already said - just copy and paste the text into your message

First of all " Thank you all for your kind help".

Yes I can access applications, go to the internet, listern to internet radio.rum commands,ect.

Yes it is an older system
750 MHZ AMD athlon
256 MEgs ram
14 gig hard drive

Both drives are on one cable to the secondary IDE
DVD drive set to master
recordable cd drive is set to slave
I have inserted all types of cd's comercial audio, dvd,applications disks, and home burned disks. I even tried the disk I loaded the system with. All lock up the system when inserted.

This has been a very stable machine for years running win 98 se
and still functions perfectly in that environment.

The fstab printout is posted below.
I did notice that the drives I am having trouble with are not numbered.
and that the partitions on the hd are numbered.







# This file is edited by fstab-sync - see 'man fstab-sync' for details
## Livecd-install Automatically added by livecd-install

none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0

# fd: H1440
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto user,exec,rw,noauto,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0

# /dev/hda1, size=12000492, type=131: Journalised FS: ext3 (primary)
/dev/hda1 /home ext3 defaults 0 0

# /dev/hda5, size=4241097, type=130: Linux swap (extended)
/dev/hda5 swap swap defaults 0 0

# /dev/hda6, size=13815837, type=131: Journalised FS: ext3 (extended)
/dev/hda6 / ext3 defaults 0 0

# cdrom: _NEC DV-5700A
/dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto user,exec,ro,noauto,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0

# cdrom: R/RW 8x4x32
/dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto user,exec,ro,noauto,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0

Hey guys please dont abandon me now

Try typing
mount /mnt/cdrom2
as root and see if you can see anything in the drive then.

I don't want to jump in as maybe someone who as already posted as an idea
of where they are going and just havn't posted yet...but:

Might I suggest making the fstab lines a little simpler. Make it look like this:

# cdrom: _NEC DV-5700A
#/dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto user,exec,ro,noauto,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umas...
/dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom auto noauto,users 0 0

# cdrom: R/RW 8x4x32
#/dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto user,exec,ro,noauto,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umas...
/dev/hdd /mnt/cdrom2 auto noauto,users 0 0


For the time being, forget about the gui (icons) and get down to basics. Open the
terminal and 'su' OR log in as root at the CLI (command line interface).
Insert a data disk and wait a few seconds and then type:
mount -t auto /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrom
then
ls /mnt/cdrom
(if its in the fstab you don't need the full mount command, but just in case, use it)

IF you do not get that far, and the system 'locks up' as you say before you can type
the mount command - it might be time for some trial and error. Temporarily disconnect
one of the drives. Try again. Try these things and any other suggestions you get in
the mean time and post back.
Good luck
-tw

Hi
Thanks for jumping in. I need all the ideas I can get.

I made the changes in fs tab and it made no difference. I unhooked the second drive and booted up. The problem with it freezing up was the same.

I then jumpered the other drive to master and hooked it up alone. Same problem.

Open the
terminal and 'su'
I tried this. I had it open and typed the line you gave me and then waited to press enter.I inserted a comercial audio cd, pressed enter, it froze before I could type the ls/ line.

I have since installed PCLinuxOS as a dual boot with win 98 se.The fs tab is the same except for no reference to the second drive as it is not hooked up now. I will get rid of the win install if I can ever get the cd drive working so that I have access to data files.

Thanks for your help and patience

deatkinson - first off, again, you do not mount audio CD's.. just data.
But I'm guessing you tried data as well, correct?

OK, (thinking out loud - correct me if I'm wrong)
A- CD drives DO work -because they can install linux & they work in 98 OK.
B- Problem is not jumpers because you tried it with only 1 CD drive (no conflicts)
C- Same problem on 2 (or more) different distros
D- AND if I undertand correctly, the system starts hanging up BEFORE you try to
mount the drive, right?


(man, do i wish someone smarter then I would jump in here )

I doubt its the module for the IDE controller, otherwise you would have trouble
with access/using your HDD as well. If all my guesses on your situation are
correct, you got me on this one. Byond this point, it'd all be guesses and trial
and error on my part. IF something comes to mind later on, I'll post it.
Good luck!
-tw

Thanks one more time

I gave up on that one.

I loaded the os as a dual boot on a 2.4GHz Pentium with 766Mb ram.

Everything works here except for playing audio cd's but that for another time.

I can access my data disks so I can get started learning to crawl.