I've commented out my fstab lines and replaced them with yours but mount still complains about filesystem type.

$ls -l /dev/{cdrom,dvd,hdc,hdd} /cdrom /dvd

ls: /dev/dvd: No such file or directory
ls: /dvd: No such file or directory
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root cdrom 11 2005-05-08 15:41 /cdrom -> media/cdrom
brw-r--r-- 1 root root 22, 0 2005-10-24 02:29 /dev/cdrom
brw-rw---- 1 root cdrom 22, 0 2005-02-26 01:38 /dev/hdc
brw-rw---- 1 root disk 22, 64 2005-02-26 01:38 /dev/hdd

You made /dev/cdrom with mknod? Don't.
rm /dev/cdrom
ln -s /dev/hdc /dev/cdrom

That's what I figured. I never removed cdrom after I recreated it with mknod.

I now have...
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 2005-11-27 04:25 cdrom -> /dev/hdc

However, it still doesn't work.

I noticed that dmesg is still returning familiar lines like...
hdc: command error: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
hdc: command error: error=0x54
end_request: I/O error, dev 16:00 (hdc), sector 22
cdrom: open failed.
...
hdc: packet command error: status=0x51 { DriveReady SeekComplete Error }
hdc: packet command error: error=0x54

I checked to see if dma was disabled and it turns out it wasn't. It must've reset itself after reboot, so I disabled it once again and it shows up as being disabled in dmesg.

I still have yet to read ide-cd documentation.

Certainly looks like a dma problem. Try adding to /etc/modules.conf or /etc/modules depending on what you use:
options ide-cd dma=1
This wouldn't be a sony drive? They often have problems in linux.

It is an LG 4163B.
Shouldn't dma be disabled?

That's weird while I have the same drive working just fine.
Does "cat /var/log/messages|grep 4163B" or "cat /var/log/messages|grep CD"say anything?
Do you have the drives jumpered as master and slave? Don't use cable select.
The drive should work just fine with dma afaik.

Damn, sorry! Reread the thread and you're using 2.4.x kernel, so don't use hdN, use scd, sr...
It would be important to get some info from dmesg or /var/log/messages to know where the scsi emulated drive is attached to, so try those commands and post the output. Use hdc=scsi hdd=scsi in menu.lst. As in the knoppix forum post you should do something like:
rm /dev/cdrom
ln -s /dev/scd0 /dev/cdrom

I think we're making some real progress now. I wanted to thank you for all of your help.

$ cat /var/log/messages|grep 4163B
Nov 27 22:14:44 bathat kernel: hdc: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
Nov 27 22:14:44 bathat kernel: Vendor: HL-DT-ST Model: DVDRAM GSA-4163B Rev: A103

$ cat /var/log/messages|grep CD
Nov 27 22:14:44 bathat kernel: hdc: HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GSA-4163B, ATAPI CD/DVD-ROM drive
Nov 27 22:14:44 bathat kernel: Type: CD-ROM ANSI SCSI revision: 02
Nov 28 00:15:49 bathat kernel: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0 at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0Nov 28 00:15:49 bathat kernel: Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.12
Nov 28 00:49:38 bathat kernel: Attached scsi CD-ROM sr0 at scsi0, channel 0, id 0, lun 0Nov 28 00:49:39 bathat kernel: Uniform CD-ROM driver Revision: 3.12

modules.conf:
options ide-cd dma=0
options ide-cd ignore='hdc hdd'

You said I should add 'options ide-cd dma=1' to modules.conf but I changed it to 'dma=0' under the assumption that you had made a typo...

Sorry, but didn't you want me to disable dma? I remember the 'hdparm -d0 /dev/cdrom'.

I am booted into my scsi-emulation profile.
menu.lst:
hdc=ide-scsi hdd=scsi

I thought I had changed 'hdc=' to 'scsi' but it turns out I didn't. I'll have to reboot again. I'll have to enable dma in modules.conf too.

The XCDRoast FAQ gives the following information on scsi-emulation lines for grub.

hdc=ide-scsi hdd=ide-scsi (Kernel 2.2.x and most 2.4.x)
hdc=scsi hdd=scsi (Kernel 2.4.x only, if the above line does not work)

The boot output looks much more promising, which is great, but graveman cannot get past the "insert media" dialog box now. Can't guess why.

Also, hdparm /dev/cdrom only displays this now:
It is possible that after I change 'ide-scsi' to 'scsi' in grub it will display all lines again.



edit: Just wanted to let you now that I am able to mount written-to media and play videos from the cd. I only get the 'wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/cdrom' when I attempt to mount a blank media. I was able to mount the cd with '-t iso9660'.

Some drives don't support dma which is why I asked you to turn it off, but as I have the same LG, I know it supports it, so you might as well try using dma since it speeds things up a bit.
Glad you got it mounted at last. Now you just need a line in fstab and symlink to /dev/cdrom from /dev/sr0 or /dev/scd0.
Do "ls -l /dev/sr0". If you get "sr0 -> scd0", do "ln -s /dev/scd0 /dev/cdrom". If sr0 points nowhere do "ln -s /dev/sr0 /dev/cdrom".
Also go ahead and try scsi instead of ide-scsi in menu.lst, put ide-scsi back if it doesn't work.

This has all been set up...

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root cdrom 4 2005-05-08 15:44 /dev/sr0 -> scd0
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 2005-11-27 22:05 /dev/cdrom -> /dev/scd0

I read the post of yours you referred me to and symlinked dvd to sr1,...

I have also changed ide-scsi to scsi for both hdc and hdd.

I'm still receiving an invalid argument in hdparm, which is curious. Also, I'm still not able to write to the cd.

It is true that 'options ide-cd ignore='hdc hdd'' is supposed to be included in modules.conf, or is it not?

Actually I think /dev/dvd should be symlinked to /dev/scd1 or you can get too many levels of symlinks.
Do as root "cdrecord -scanbus" which should return something like 0,0,0. Then you can write an rw with:
cdrecord dev=0,0,0 driveropts=burnfree,noforcespeed fs=14M speed=12 -dao -eject -overburn -v /path/to/file.iso

Hdparm can be a bit tricky with scsi emulation. You can check with "cat /proc/ide/hdc/settings"
Try setting it after boot with "echo "using_dma:1" > /proc/ide/hdc/settings". If this works, easiest is to add the line to the end of /etc/init.d/bootmisc.sh
If you can't get hdparm working it's not the end of the world as we know it.

About 'options ide-cd ignore='hdc hdd'', you can just experiment with and without to see what works for you.
Also it isn't surprising you get 'wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/cdrom' when trying to mount an empty cd, it has no filesystem. For the same reason you can't mount an audio cd.

I can't believe it! I wrote an ISO image to a cd with XCDRoast.

I think we've resolved it, my friend.

It looks as if I'm finally able to write to dvd's now, too.
If it weren't for this little stumbler...
cdrecord.prodvd: Disk image size too large (max. 1 GB in demo mode).
...I'd be able to test the dvd writer the way I want (ie: without a 1 GB cap). I wonder if there's a way to skirt around this. I'm looking at XCDRoast's documentation and there are apparently ways of doing so.


Anyway...
I want to express my gratitude. You've been an immense help. There should be a karma system at LQ.


edit: The only other thing is that I'm not able to mount a dvd.

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root cdrom 9 2005-11-28 01:26 /dev/dvd -> /dev/scd1

$ sudo mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
mount: /dev/dvd: unknown device

Glad it's sorted out.
The dvd error certainly is a demo software limitation. Try this for burning dvds: http://fy.chalmers.se/~appro/linux/DVD+RW/ . You can apt-get dvd+rw-tools.

Saw your edit. It's the same drive isn't it? The symlink also /dev/dvd to /dev/scd0 .
dvd disks use udf instead of iso9660, so if it's a dvd do: sudo mount -t udf /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd

I updated dvd+rw-tools just a little while ago. How do I tell XCDRoast to use dvd+rw-tools instead of prodvd?

I tried mounting '-t udf' with no success. I linked /dev/dvd to scd0 and now it works. Wow, thanks.

Hmm, sorry. I mostly burn dvds from console and have never used xcdroast. You can use growisofs or k3b, or start a thread about xcdroast in the software section. Or get a new key like the say on the xcdroast front page:
--
New cdrecord.ProDVD key:
On Linux you need to get a new key if you get the "cannot write more than 1 GB" message recently. The old key expired on Dec. 15. There is also a new ProDVD version 2.01a20 available.
--

The howto in the link has cdrom to scd0 and dvd to scd1 because I have both a cd-burner and a dvd-burner, so with just one combo-drive you point both to scd0.