My sound works great now but when I try to play a CD I don't get any sound at all. Is there a way to get the cdrom to communicate with the cdrom?

check the cabling (is the CDROM connected to the sound card ?)
check volume of CD playback (use a mixer) and enable if needed

I will check the cable it may not have been needed with windows. But linux may require it.

it worked than you

You need a programme that reads from the CD digitally, not via that cable (since it appears not to be connected). In the options on you CD player you may be able to select digital read. You are perhaps using KsCD or Gnome's CD Player.

The easier way is probably to play your CDs with a programme like Totem, or Kaffeine, or MPlayer, or any of those movie players. They are set up to read disc digitally by default. Find an option there like Play CD, and away you go.

I too had this question, and was offered much advice about connecting up cables, but then by chance discovered that the movie playing software all did the job without further ado.

HTH,

Declan