Multiple CD-ROM drives, but huh?

r_jensen11 · 05-27-2003, 08:49 PM

Here's my PC setup that's relavent to my problem:

Secondary Master: CD-R/W
Secondary Slave: CD-ROM

FSTAB file:

/dev/hda1 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/hda2 / ext3 defaults 0 0
/dev/hdb1 /home ext3 defaults 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0

lilo.conf file:
boot = /dev/hda

vga = 771

image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = Linux
read-only

Now here's my problem, or at least, one of many:
When running the default CDPlayer with Gnome, it only scans my CD-ROM drive(the secondary slave), and it doesn't do anything for the CDRW(Secondary Master). If anybody can help me out, much thanks. I've ran some searches, but havn't yielded any answers that've worked yet...

jpbarto · 05-27-2003, 09:04 PM

first... the 'real' device names of your two cd drives are
CDRW = /dev/hdc
CDROM = /dev/hdd

chances are that /dev/cdrom is merely a symbolic link or pointer to /dev/hdd.

In my machine I have it setup as follows...
DVD = /dev/hdc
CDRW = /dev/hdd

/dev/cdrom --> /dev/hdc
/dev/dvd --> /dev/hdc
/dev/cdrw --> /dev/hdd

(typically when I put in a cd, music or otherwise I'll put it in the drive which is at the top of the case... the dvd. so it makes sense that the most used drive recieves designation of /dev/cdrom)

now I'm not sure what the default cd player is in gnome but chances are its configuration designates /dev/cdrom as its 'read-from' device. At present moment if you'd want to read from the cdrw then tell the cdplayer to read from /dev/hdc.

to fix it permanently may I suggest executing the following commands as root:

## remove the old cdrom device link ##
<prompt $> rm /dev/cdrom
## recreate the cdrom device link ##
<prompt $> ln -s /dev/hdc /dev/cdrom
## create a cdrw device link ##
<prompt $> ln -s /dev/hdc /dev/cdrw
## create a cdrom device link to the second cdrom ##
<prompt $> ln -s /dev/hdd /dev/cdrom2

the other option is to leave the /dev/cdrom --> /dev/hdd link as it is and reconfigure your software to read from /dev/hdc.

r_jensen11 · 05-27-2003, 09:18 PM

Thank you! Well, at least now the cdplayer reads the CDRW drive, the only reason why I have the CDROM drive in my computer is for CD copying, otherwise since it's 16x or something slow like that, I'll use my 52x CDRW drive. Many thanks!

jpbarto · 05-27-2003, 09:20 PM

not a problem.

also may I point out that currently /dev/hdc (the cdrw) is not listed in your /etc/fstab file (least not as its posted). This means you will not be able to easily mount the drive (with a command such as

mount /mnt/cdrw

as it stands now you'd have to mount the drive like this:
mount /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrw

(provided the /mnt/cdrw directory exists)

to add it edit the /etc/fstab file copying the line that begins /dev/cdrom and change the '/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom' portion to this:

/dev/hdc /mnt/cdrw (leave the rest of the line the same)

r_jensen11 · 05-27-2003, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jpbarto
not a problem.

also may I point out that currently /dev/hdc (the cdrw) is not listed in your /etc/fstab file (least not as its posted). This means you will not be able to easily mount the drive (with a command such as
mount /mnt/cdrw

as it stands now you'd have to mount the drive like this:
mount /dev/hdc /mnt/cdrw

(provided the /mnt/cdrw directory exists)

to add it edit the /etc/fstab file copying the line that begins /dev/cdrom and change the '/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom' portion to this:

/dev/hdc /mnt/cdrw (leave the rest of the line the same)

And how would I be able to mount my other CD ROM drive then, just in case I wanted to have it mounted at the same time...? And what if I wish to use a CDRW disk, would I have to modify anything to allow Slack to read it?

michaelk · 05-27-2003, 09:35 PM

1st IDE controller master - hda
1st IDE controller slave - hdb
2nd IDE controller master - hdc
2nd IDE coontroller slave - hdd
etc etc...

You need to configure the CD player to look at your CD-RW device i.e. /dev/hdc. I don't use Gnome so I don't know the exact steps to set the device.

However, linux doesn't do digital audio yet. (someone correct me if I am wrong) So if you don't have an audio cable between your sound card and the CD-RW you will not be able to hear music from it.

r_jensen11 · 05-28-2003, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by michaelk
1st IDE controller master - hda
1st IDE controller slave - hdb
2nd IDE controller master - hdc
2nd IDE coontroller slave - hdd
etc etc...

You need to configure the CD player to look at your CD-RW device i.e. /dev/hdc. I don't use Gnome so I don't know the exact steps to set the device.

However, linux doesn't do digital audio yet. (someone correct me if I am wrong) So if you don't have an audio cable between your sound card and the CD-RW you will not be able to hear music from it.

Well, so far my sound is working, and I hope I don't have to mess around with it too much because it's really a pain to set all of this stuff up the 10th time, and finally to get just about everything to work. My soundcard now reads my CDRW, and I can listen to CD's and such. I'll experiment around and see if I can get my other CDROM to work properly.

r_jensen11 · 05-28-2003, 07:08 PM

Well, I finally got it all ironed out for now. It might be another story when I start using CDRW disks, but I'll worry about that later. I ended up modifying my fstab file, so I added a line identical to my /dev/cdrom drive, except instead of /dev/cdrom it's /dev/cdrom2, and instead of /mnt/cdrom it's /mnt/cdrom2

I also added user before the noauto,ro 0 0 stuff for the cdrom drives so I can mount and unmount via icons. Thanks for your help everyone!