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.