I need a virtual cd drive!
 

I have recently installed Red Hat Linux 9 onto a PC with no CD drive using the nfs method to access CD ISO images across the network.

I have tried to add applications subsequently using gnome's "System Settings - Add/Remove Applications". It tells me '"Red Hat Linux 9" disk 2 needed to install packages. Insert the disk and press OK.' Of course, the PC doesn't have a CD drive... I would like to avoid installing from scratch and having to re-register with the Red Hat Network and update everything again.

I know how to mount an ISO image so I can read it but I would like to avoid having to guess which package components are required to do the job manually in a shell.

Is there a way to mount an ISO image so that it appears to be the system's CD drive, a virtual CD drive? Put differently, can I make the gnome tool see a mounted file system (ISO image, in this case) instead of a physical device (CD drive)?

Most likely the software functions by looking in /mnt/cdrom, rather than accessing the device file directly. Try mounting the .iso to /mnt/cdrom. This may fix the problem. If it doesn't then you will need to find a sources manager which can be used to see/set the path it searches in.

Thanks nhs. This almost works.

I can now mount the iso on /mnt/cdrom and the browser window pops up showing the contents. However, when I use the gnome tool, it tells me '"Red Hat Linux 9" disk 2 needed to install packages. Insert the disk and press OK,' just as before and also unmounts the CD. So it looks like the gnome tool is addressing /mnt/cdrom. If I mount it again (equivalent to inserting the disc) and click on OK, it tells me "Unable to access disk. The disk was unable to be accessed for reading. Please confirm that it is in the drive and try again.' Permissions all down the /mnt/cdrom path have rx for everyone. The original iso image is also rx for all. I'm logged in as root anyway.

Does anyone have any other ideas?

Don't worry, I've found the answer elsewhere. In case it's any use to anyone else, here it is.

redhat-config-packages --isodir="/path/to/dir/with/iso/images"

This brings up the same tool as "System Settings - Add/Remove Applications" and it reads the iso images with no further ado.

Hope this helps someone else.