CDROM mount is not working any more
 

My FC5, after several online updating (I only update the system from official fedora updates and extras, plus livna repo), mysteriously stopped mounting inserted CD/DVDs such that any inserted CDs and DVDs cannot be mounted automatically, this function used to work before. My desktop environment is Gnome and all relative options in Preference->Removable media have been selected. However the mount of USB device is still working. Anyone knows how to get back the function of the automatic disc mounting? Thanks a lot!

Can you still mount it manually? Are your users allowed to mount CDs, or is this reserved for root?

1st answer the question of pda_h4x0r and if that works.
You'll have to edit your /etc/fstab for the automount option which has been disabled in FC5.

I guess FC5 uses some (maybe) Gnome features or other mechanisms (udev, hal, etc) to automount inserted CD/DVDs and display an Icon on Gnome desktop, so there is no corresponding entries in /etc/fstab. As a result, normal users cannot mount, only root can mannually mount it by supplying /dev/dvd and a mounting point.

I bet I didn't change any system pereferences other than update my system regularly online. So I think this problem is caused by udgrading certain software, but I don't have any clue of where can go wrong.

Any ideas to share?

There is a problem with hal and automounting of exteranl CD/DVD drives in the last update. Bugzilla #201400.

One solution is to downgrade hal and hal-gnome but I can't find the old rpms anywhere now.

Thanks, pk108! This is a great hint! I will try it when I get back home. By the way, you can find those old packages by searching on rpm.pbone.net.