Why is the start button In K3B greyed out?
 

Cannot use K3B cuz the start button is always greyed out. I have ugraded to current version, set permissions, tried DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, disks with same result.

Anyone encounter this before?

Could it be that K3B is not seeing the drive? When I load and eject from K3B it works.

I've tried to create conditions in K3B that leave the start button greyed out. I can only get the greyed out button if:
a) there is no empty cd/dvd disk in the drive.
b) there is a disk in the drive, but it isn't blank.
c) there is a blank disk in the drive, but I haven't selected an .iso to burn.

So, try putting a blank cd/dvd in the drive, then start K3B, and finally, select the .iso to burn (Tools menu, burn .iso image).

Do you still get the greyed out button?

You could also try putting the blank disk in the drive, then start K3B from the command line. Do you get error messages in the console?

This issue might be related to another issue I am having with trying to mount drives.
I can read DVD disks from the drive this tells me there is data on the disk but the start button is still greyed out.
I put a couple different brands of blank DVDS in the drive and the button is still greyed out.
I have selected ISO files to burn and its still greyed out.

Could this be a permissions problem? even though I logged in as root and still have the same issue.
This is part of the console messages when I run k3b from command line.
There are a few failed messages but I do not know what they mean.

/dev/hdd resolved to /dev/hdd
/dev/hdd is block device (64)
/dev/hdd seems to be cdrom
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: init()
(K3bDevice::ScsiCommand) failed:
command: MODE SENSE (5a)
errorcode: 70
sense key: ILLEGAL REQUEST (5)
asc: 24
ascq: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: MODE SENSE length det failed.
(K3bDevice::ScsiCommand) failed:
command: MODE SENSE (5a)
errorcode: 70
sense key: ILLEGAL REQUEST (5)
asc: 24
ascq: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: MODE SENSE with real length 65535 failed.
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: modeSense 0x05 failed!
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: Cannot check write modes.
(K3bDevice::ScsiCommand) failed:
command: MODE SENSE (5a)
errorcode: 70
sense key: ILLEGAL REQUEST (5)
asc: 24
ascq: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: MODE SENSE length det failed.
(K3bDevice::ScsiCommand) failed:
command: MODE SENSE (5a)
errorcode: 70
sense key: ILLEGAL REQUEST (5)
asc: 24
ascq: 0
(K3bDevice::Device) /dev/hdd: MODE SENSE with real length 65535 failed.
k3b: [void K3bMediaCache::clearDeviceList()]
/dev/hdc resolved to /dev/hdc
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) dev /dev/hdc already found
/dev/hdd resolved to /dev/hdd
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) dev /dev/hdd already found
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) found config entry for devicetype: LITE-ON DVDRW SOHW
-1633S
(K3bDevice::DeviceManager) found config entry for devicetype: LITEON CD-ROM LTN5
26D
k3b: (K3bCdrecordProgram) could not start /opt/schily/bin
k3b: (K3bMkisofsProgram) could not start /opt/schily/bin
k3b: (K3bCdrecordProgram) could not start /usr/lib/java/jre/bin
k3b: (K3bMkisofsProgram) could not start /usr/lib/java/jre/bin
k3b: (K3bExternalBinManager) Cdrecord 2.1.1a23 features: gracetime, overburn, cd
text, clone, tao, cuefile, xamix, suidroot, plain-atapi, hacked-atapi, short-tra
ck-raw, audio-stdin, burnfree
k3b: (K3bExternalBinManager) 2 1 1 a23 seems to be cdrecord version >= 1.11a02,
using burnfree instead of burnproof
k3b: (K3bExternalBinManager) seems to be cdrecord version >= 1.11a31, support fo
r Just Link via burnfree driveroption
Devices:
------------------------------
Blockdevice: /dev/hdc
Generic device:
Vendor: LITE-ON
Description: DVDRW SOHW-1633S
Version: BS0H
Write speed: 3324
Profiles: DVD-ROM, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite, DVD-RW S
equential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Read Cap: DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-RW, DVD-RW Restricted Over
write, DVD-RW Sequential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
Write Cap: DVD-R, DVD-R Sequential, DVD-RW, DVD-RW Restricted Overwrite, DV
D-RW Sequential, DVD+RW, DVD+R, DVD+R Dual Layer, CD-R, CD-RW
Writing modes: SAO, TAO, RAW, SAO/R96P, SAO/R96R, RAW/R16, RAW/R96P, RAW/R96R,
Restricted Overwrite
Reader aliases: /dev/hdc
------------------------------
Blockdevice: /dev/hdd
Generic device:
Vendor: LITEON
Description: CD-ROM LTN526D
Version: 9S01
Write speed: 0
Profiles: CD-ROM
Read Cap: CD-ROM
Write Cap: Error
Writing modes: None
Reader aliases: /dev/hdd
------------------------------
kdecore (KAction): WARNING: KActionCollection::operator+=(): function is severel y deprecated.
k3b: (K3bFileTreeView::addCdDeviceBranches)
k3b: (K3bFileTreeView::addCdDeviceBranches) done
k3b: (K3bFileTreeView::addCdDeviceBranches)
k3b: (K3bFileTreeView::addCdDeviceBranches) done
k3b: kernel version: 2.6.21.5-smp
k3b: (K3bCore) System problems:
k3b: - none -

oSuSE 11.1 k3b not seeing optical device. BUT rest of system does
 

K3b on latest openSuSE release is not seeing any optical devices. Seems something internal to oSuSE settings ?*?
oSuSE Device Notifier itself shows as recently plugged in.

Dolphin File Manager shows files on recorded media, BUT
k3b says nothing there, whether blank or recorded. Tried changing default settings, no improvement.
Settings / Configure k3b / Devices-Setup CD/DVD Drives Readonly or Writer=none.
Add Device /dev/cdrom or /dev/sr0 Error =Could not find an additional dev at /dev/cdrom
Not sure where how to modify permissions
Did not recall problem on RC1 on this machine.
As OP indicates k3b is not seeing the drive