You can open it anyway you'd like, here's generic instructions that should work on any setup:
cat /etc/lilo.conf

Hightlight and paste the config here by clicking with your middle mouse button (or if you don't have one, both mouse buttons at once).

Cool

troy@slackware:~$ cat /etc/lilo.conf
# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hde
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 300
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdf5
label = LinuxAndShit
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hde1
label = Winblows
# map-drive = 0x80
# to = 0x81
# map-drive = 0x81
# to = 0x80
table = /dev/hde
# DOS bootable partition config ends

so do we not know the solution to my problem?

I don't. Wait for da Masta(C) .

Thanks for the bump(s) I didn't see this yesterday

Ok, so it looks like you don't have the append line in there, let's make it global, so just below timeout enter:
append="hdb=ide-scsi"
To do this with vi, type, put your cursor on the timeout line and then type:
The space between o and the append statement is only to show the different commands, but for you the o and append should be together, so looking at your keys would look like this:
But looking at the screen you'll see that the o starts a new line and puts you in edit mode in vi. So now we just need to save and exit, easiest way in vi is:
SHIFT plus ZZ and that's it. It'll save and exit. Then we need to rerun lilo to save the changes to the MBR so:
/sbin/lilo -v
And watch for any errors, if you see one, post it up.

Reboot, if there are no errors, and then:
cdrecord -scanbus (as root)
and see if your drive gets detected this time.

Cool

ok 3 things. im not really sure how to edit it. and i dont know what vi is either. and its both my drives that wont detect. main cdrom dirve and Cdburner. i was mainly focusing on the burner. because i dont need to copy any cds as of yet. thx

vi is a text editor. You don't have to use vi, but it's just universal and I've been doing my best lately to not be distro specific. You can use any text editor you'd like to add that line. Any. So if you can get into a gui, you can use gedit, kwrite, kate... in the command line you can use joe, nano, pico, vim...

If you wanted to you could probably even use OpenOffice

Yeah, this will only set it up for the burner for now (your burner is the CR-48X5TE and not the Samsung correct?). We need to make sure that works before moving on

Cool

# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hde
#compact # faster, but won't work on all systems.
prompt
timeout = 300
append="hdb=ide-scsi"
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
vga = 773
# Normal VGA console
# vga = normal
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
# vga=791
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x32k
# vga=790
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x256
# vga=773
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x64k
# vga=788
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x32k
# vga=787
# VESA framebuffer console @ 800x600x256
# vga=771
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x64k
# vga=785
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x32k
# vga=784
# VESA framebuffer console @ 640x480x256
# vga=769
# ramdisk = 0 # paranoia setting
# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hdf5
label = LinuxAndShit
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hde1
label = Winblows
# map-drive = 0x80
# to = 0x81
# map-drive = 0x81
# to = 0x80
table = /dev/hde
# DOS bootable partition config ends

Before i save and screw up my boot up i want to make sure this is right?

Looks good to me

Save it, run lilo and reboot. We may end up moving it if it won't work globally, but we won't know until it's tested.

Cool

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it worked. now for the main drive....do i do the same just below the other one? with hda=ide-scsi?

blah bumping this for you MasterC

Sure. Worst case is that hda doesn't work.

If I remember correctly (I use GRUB) LILO displays a boot-up screen, where you can interrupt the boot process (<F2> in KNOPPIX) to type in options. You can type in exactly the same (append="hda=ide-scsi"), and it should work without the need to edit -- which you can still do later.

Glad you know you can see I need the bumbs

Yes, that should do it (assuming you have your other drive on your Primary Channel and marked as Master).

After you make the change remember to run:
/sbin/lilo -v
To save the changes.

So the line will read:
append="hda=ide-scsi hdb=ide-scsi"

Be aware, you will need to recreate symlinks to:
/dev/dvd
/dev/cdrom
And possibly:
/dev/cdrw
/dev/cdrecorder

To the new devices (probably scd0 and scd1 respectively).

Cool

Be aware, you will need to recreate symlinks to:
/dev/dvd
/dev/cdrom
And possibly:
/dev/cdrw
/dev/cdrecorder

aha what do you mean by that? k3b is now detect both of my Drives verry nice...and i thank you for all your help!*loves linux*

You're welcome.

Your symlinks are going to pointing to /dev/hdb and /dev/hda respectively. Your devices are no longer known as this, but rather scd0 and scd1 because of the scsi emulation. You will need to recreate the symlinks to show this new device so applications that use "/dev/cdrom" and "/dev/dvd" can properly find them. To create (or recreate) symlinks, use this format:
ln -sf /dev/scdX /dev/cdrom
And so on, where X is the device that is your main cdrom (scd1 or scd0 likely use 'eject scd0 and eject scd1 to find out which is which, you can also grep your dmesg:
dmesg | grep scd*
And look for your scd0/1 drives and which is which )

Cool