Ok, since I reinstalled debian i have yet to set up my two cd-rw drives. please advise how i should go about doing this.
=======================================
the output of cdrecord -scanbus:

Willsroom:/dev# cdrecord -scanbus
Cdrecord-Clone 2.01a34 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) Copyright (C) 1995-2004 Jörg Schilling
NOTE: this version of cdrecord is an inofficial (modified) release of cdrecord
and thus may have bugs that are not present in the original version.
Please send bug reports and support requests to <cdrtools@packages.debian.org>.
The original author should not be bothered with problems of this version.

cdrecord: No such file or directory. Cannot open '/dev/pg*'. Cannot open SCSI driver.
cdrecord: For possible targets try 'cdrecord -scanbus'.
cdrecord: For possible transport specifiers try 'cdrecord dev=help'.
cdrecord:
cdrecord: For more information, install the cdrtools-doc
cdrecord: package and read /usr/share/doc/cdrecord/README.ATAPI.setup .
Willsroom:/dev#
=================================
then the output of find|grep pg

Willsroom:/dev# find|grep pg
./agpgart
Willsroom:/dev#
======================================
the pg* files are not there. but the sg files are:

Willsroom:/dev# find|grep sg
./sg0
./sg1
./sg2
./sg3
./sg4
./sg5
./sg6
./sg7
./sg8
./sg9
./sg10
./sg11
./sg12
./sg13
./sg14
./sg15
./sg16
Willsroom:/dev#
====================================================
output of cat /etc/modules:

Willsroom:/dev# cat /etc/modules
# /etc/modules: kernel modules to load at boot time.
#
# This file should contain the names of kernel modules that are
# to be loaded at boot time, one per line. Comments begin with
# a "#", and everything on the line after them are ignored.
psmouse
mousedev
ide-generic
sbp2
sr_mod
sg
Willsroom:/dev#
====================================================
Willsroom:/etc/modprobe.d# ls
aliases alsa-base arch arch-aliases cdrw isapnp sound
Willsroom:/etc/modprobe.d#
============================================
Anyone have any ideas?

oh, I'm using Debian Sarge.
================================
quentusrex@Willsroom:~$ uname -r
2.6.7-1-386
quentusrex@Willsroom:~$

Well if you wish to keep using the ide-scsi then you need to append the proper hd?=ide-scsi in your /etc/lilo.conf for both of the drives if using grub I have no idea how to do it.

Then once you have made the changes run /sbin/lilo to write the changes to the disk and reboot to see if it works. Or you can try cdrecord -dev=ATA -scanbus to see if cdrecord finds any devices on the normal ide bus not the scsi device. Then if it does find the device you should be able to use the dev=ATA:0,0,0 or dev=ATA:0,1,0 whichever it is you want to use as the device when burning instead of the dev=0,0,0 or dev=0,1,0 you would normally use when using the ide-scsi. This is the new method being used with the 2.6 kernels in Debian so is probably your best shot at getting it going with the least changes to the system.

here:
============================================
quentusrex@Willsroom:~$ su
Password:
Willsroom:/home/quentusrex# cdrecord dev=ATA -scanbus
Cdrecord-Clone 2.01a34 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) Copyright (C) 1995-2004 Jörg Schilling
NOTE: this version of cdrecord is an inofficial (modified) release of cdrecord
and thus may have bugs that are not present in the original version.
Please send bug reports and support requests to <cdrtools@packages.debian.org>.
The original author should not be bothered with problems of this version.

scsidev: 'ATA'
devname: 'ATA'
scsibus: -2 target: -2 lun: -2
Warning: Using badly designed ATAPI via /dev/hd* interface.
cdrecord: No such file or directory. Cannot open '/dev/hd*'. Cannot open SCSI driver.
cdrecord: For possible targets try 'cdrecord -scanbus'.
cdrecord: For possible transport specifiers try 'cdrecord dev=help'.
cdrecord:
cdrecord: For more information, install the cdrtools-doc
cdrecord: package and read /usr/share/doc/cdrecord/README.ATAPI.setup .
Willsroom:/home/quentusrex#
==============================
Willsroom:/home/quentusrex# cat /boot/grub/menu.lst
# menu.lst - See: grub(8), info grub, update-grub(8)
# grub-install(8), grub-floppy(8),
# grub-md5-crypt, /usr/share/doc/grub
# and /usr/share/doc/grub-doc/.

## default num
# Set the default entry to the entry number NUM. Numbering starts from 0, and
# the entry number 0 is the default if the command is not used.
#
# You can specify 'saved' instead of a number. In this case, the default entry
# is the entry saved with the command 'savedefault'.
default 0

## timeout sec
# Set a timeout, in SEC seconds, before automatically booting the default entry
# (normally the first entry defined).
timeout 5

# Pretty colours
color cyan/blue white/blue

## password ['--md5'] passwd
# If used in the first section of a menu file, disable all interactive editing
# control (menu entry editor and command-line) and entries protected by the
# command 'lock'
# e.g. password topsecret
# password --md5 $1$gLhU0/$aW78kHK1QfV3P2b2znUoe/
# password topsecret

#
# examples
#
# title Windows 95/98/NT/2000
# root (hd0,0)
# makeactive
# chainloader +1
#
# title Linux
# root (hd0,1)
# kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/hda2 ro
#

#
# Put static boot stanzas before and/or after AUTOMAGIC KERNEL LIST

### BEGIN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST
## lines between the AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST markers will be modified
## by the debian update-grub script except for the default optons below

## DO NOT UNCOMMENT THEM, Just edit them to your needs

## ## Start Default Options ##
## default kernel options
## default kernel options for automagic boot options
## If you want special options for specifiv kernels use kopt_x_y_z
## where x.y.z is kernel version. Minor versions can be omitted.
## e.g. kopt=root=/dev/hda1 ro
# kopt=root=/dev/hda7 ro

## default grub root device
## e.g. groot=(hd0,0)
# groot=(hd0,6)

## should update-grub create alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. alternative=true
## alternative=false
# alternative=true

## should update-grub lock alternative automagic boot options
## e.g. lockalternative=true
## lockalternative=false
# lockalternative=false

## altoption boot targets option
## multiple altoptions lines are allowed
## e.g. altoptions=(extra menu suffix) extra boot options
## altoptions=(recovery mode) single
# altoptions=(recovery mode) single

## controls how many kernels should be put into the menu.lst
## only counts the first occurence of a kernel, not the
## alternative kernel options
## e.g. howmany=all
## howmany=7
# howmany=all

## ## End Default Options ##

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.7-1-386
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7-1-386 root=/dev/hda7 ro hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.7-1-386
savedefault
boot

title Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.7-1-386 (recovery mode)
root (hd0,6)
kernel /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.7-1-386 root=/dev/hda7 ro single
initrd /boot/initrd.img-2.6.7-1-386
savedefault
boot

### END DEBIAN AUTOMAGIC KERNELS LIST

# This is a divider, added to separate the menu items below from the Debian
# ones.
title Other operating systems:
root


# This entry automatically added by the Debian installer for a non-linux OS
# on /dev/hda1
title Windows NT/2000/XP
root (hd0,0)
makeactive
chainloader +1

Willsroom:/home/quentusrex#
=========================================================
anyone see anything that I might have done wrong? I know the drives work... Redhat was able to get them to work with no configuration. I was able to get them to work with Debian before I reinstalled it again. I just don't remember what I did to configure them last time.

Well if I read this properly then you are using the ide-scsi when you boot with grub so remove them from the line do whatever it is that is necessary for grub to use the new config I think if memory servers me correctly grub-update but don't quote me on that I have never used grub it is the first thing that gets removed on the sarge installs I have done.

And you should remove the sg and related module from the /etc/modules then reboot and see if that helps when trying the dev=ATA -scanbus..

That worked. What ever it was that worked. I believe it's the 2.6 kernel that supports the non-ide-scsi cdrw burning. So when it removed the 'sg' from /etc/modules and remove the hdc and hdd options from the GRUB boot menu. Here's the output:

=========================================================
Willsroom:/mnt/SHARED# cdrecord -v dev=ATA:1,0,0 install-gentoo-x86-universal-2004.1.iso
cdrecord: No write mode specified.
cdrecord: Asuming -tao mode.
cdrecord: Future versions of cdrecord may have different drive dependent defaults.
cdrecord: Continuing in 5 seconds...
Cdrecord-Clone 2.01a34 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) Copyright (C) 1995-2004 Jörg Schilling
NOTE: this version of cdrecord is an inofficial (modified) release of cdrecord
and thus may have bugs that are not present in the original version.
Please send bug reports and support requests to <cdrtools@packages.debian.org>.
The original author should not be bothered with problems of this version.

TOC Type: 1 = CD-ROM
scsidev: 'ATA:1,0,0'
devname: 'ATA'
scsibus: 1 target: 0 lun: 0
Warning: Using badly designed ATAPI via /dev/hd* interface.
Linux sg driver version: 3.5.27
Using libscg version 'schily-0.8'.
SCSI buffer size: 64512
atapi: -1
Device type : Removable CD-ROM
Version : 0
Response Format: 2
Capabilities :
Vendor_info : 'LITE-ON '
Identifikation : 'COMBO LTC-48161H'
Revision : 'KH0F'
Device seems to be: Generic mmc2 DVD-ROM.
Current: 0x0009
Profile: 0x0010
Profile: 0x000A
Profile: 0x0009 (current)
Profile: 0x0008
Profile: 0x0002
Using generic SCSI-3/mmc CD-R/CD-RW driver (mmc_cdr).
Driver flags : MMC-3 SWABAUDIO BURNFREE FORCESPEED
Supported modes: TAO PACKET SAO SAO/R96P SAO/R96R RAW/R16 RAW/R96P RAW/R96R
Drive buf size : 1309440 = 1278 KB
FIFO size : 4194304 = 4096 KB
Track 01: data 673 MB
Total size: 773 MB (76:39.73) = 344980 sectors
Lout start: 774 MB (76:41/55) = 344980 sectors
Current Secsize: 2048
ATIP info from disk:
Indicated writing power: 5
Is not unrestricted
Is not erasable
Disk sub type: Medium Type A, high Beta category (A+) (3)
ATIP start of lead in: -11634 (97:26/66)
ATIP start of lead out: 359846 (79:59/71)
Disk type: Short strategy type (Phthalocyanine or similar)
Manuf. index: 3
Manufacturer: CMC Magnetics Corporation
Blocks total: 359846 Blocks current: 359846 Blocks remaining: 14866
Forcespeed is OFF.
Starting to write CD/DVD at speed 48 in real TAO mode for single session.
Last chance to quit, starting real write 0 seconds. Operation starts.
Waiting for reader process to fill input buffer ... input buffer ready.
BURN-Free is ON.
Turning BURN-Free off
Performing OPC...
Starting new track at sector: 0
Track 01: 673 of 673 MB written (fifo 100%) [buf 98%] 48.1x.
Track 01: Total bytes read/written: 706514944/706514944 (344978 sectors).
Writing time: 143.788s
Average write speed 33.8x.
Min drive buffer fill was 87%
Fixating...
Fixating time: 14.252s
cdrecord: fifo had 11129 puts and 11129 gets.
cdrecord: fifo was 0 times empty and 5777 times full, min fill was 89%.
Willsroom:/mnt/SHARED#
===========================================================

Thanks tux.

Your welcome. Yes that is how Debian is setting up the kernels now just using the ATA interface for burning. You may want to start using the driveropts=burnfree in your line when burning I see your drive supports it but turned it off, you never know it may save you from a bad burn.