Arch Linux

infernova

Member

Registered: 2004-04-09

Posts: 61

Help with external DVD

Please bear with me as I'm trying to learn Arch on my own as best as I could.

I just bought a new external DVD+RW, but I need help configuring it.

My Qs is:

I know in Linux, you have sda1, sda2, and so on, plus with Arch system, cdrom1, cdrom2, cdrom 3...so on.

1. However, is there a limit as to how many allowed?

2. In my case, how do I check it? I tried /dev/sda...and keep pressing TAB, but I couldn't find it.

Strangely, I used this for my /etc/fstab

#
# /etc/fstab: static file system information
#
# <file system>        <dir>         <type>    <options>          <dump> <pass>
none                   /dev/pts      devpts    defaults            0      0
none                   /dev/shm      tmpfs     defaults            0      0
tmpfs                  /tmp          tmpfs     defaults            0      0
usbfs                  /proc/bus/usb usbfs  defaults            0      0

/dev/cdroms/cdrom1     /mnt/cd          iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom0     /mnt/dvd         iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/cdroms/cdrom2     /mnt/dvdrw       iso9660   rw,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/floppy/0          /mnt/fl          vfat      user,noauto             0      0
/dev/sda1              /mnt/usbdrive    vfat      rw,user,umask=022       0      0
#/dev/sda2             /mnt/dvdrw       iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0

/dev/discs/dics0/part1 /mnt/win_c ntfs ro,user,noauto 0 0
/dev/discs/disc0/part3 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/discs/disc0/part5 / reiserfs defaults 0 0
/dev/discs/disc0/part2 /boot reiserfs defaults 0 0
/dev/discs/disc0/part6 /home reiserfs defaults 0 0

Initially, I used /dev/sda2 (thinking it's an USB module hardware), but didn't work, until I added another entry /dev/cdroms/cdrom2, and I was able to test with any CDs.

I am nonetheless still confused as to why it was able to read CDs.

The next Qs is

3. Is the parameter "RW" fine with it? I know it's dumb, but since it's DVD+RW, i figure you should put RW instead of RO.

I proceed with K3B to configure the writing device, and K3b couldn't even recognize my internal CD+R (/dev/cdroms/cdrom1), let alone my external DVD+RW.

I tried to add both manually, but always get the error that both devices doesn't exist. Please help.......

For the info, the K3b version is 0.12.2, and keep crashing when you close it.

Sorry for the long thread, and I appreciate any helps to get both my devices detectable in K3B

Regards

infernova

Member

Registered: 2004-04-09

Posts: 61

Re: Help with external DVD

I managed to get K3b recognizes my CDR, DVD, and DVD+RW by simply adding the user to "OPTICAL" group. Silly me!

However, if someone can answer my 3 questions there, I'd appreciate it.

Snowman

Developer/Forum Fellow

From: Montreal, Canada

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 5,212

Re: Help with external DVD

1. There might be a limit set in the kernel.  I guess that if there's a limit, it's probably a large number. I'm not an expert t on that, though.
2. My external cd-RW/DVD drive is listed as /dev/sr0, if I remember correctly.

infernova

Member

Registered: 2004-04-09

Posts: 61

Re: Help with external DVD

could i take a look at your fstab entry if you don't mind?

Snowman

Developer/Forum Fellow

From: Montreal, Canada

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 5,212

Re: Help with external DVD

I just made these changes because I realized I didn't configured my new system to use my external CD-RW/DVD drive. 
Here's my entry in fstab:

/dev/hdc            /mnt/cdrom     iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/hdc            /mnt/dvd       udf       ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/scd0           /mnt/cdrom_ext iso9660   ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0
/dev/scd0           /mnt/dvd_ext   udf       ro,user,noauto,unhide   0      0

/dev/hdc  is my internal CD-RW/DVD-RW drive and my external CD-RW/DVD drive is now /dev/scd0 (not sr0 as on my last system). I also use the ro option as the rw option gives me an error:

mount: block device /dev/scd0 is write-protected, mounting read-only

It shouldn't affect burning since you don't mount the cd/dvd to burn it (I've read that on these forums).  If you restart udev:

/etc/start_udev
mount /dev/pts
mount /dev/shm

it will create symlinks to the external cd/dvd drive.

Kern

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2005-02-09

Posts: 464

Re: Help with external DVD

if i rem right, i needed to set rw to write to the cd/dvd writer.

extract from fstab :

/dev/cdroms/cdrom0     /mnt/dvd   udf    rw,user,noauto,unhide   0      0

thats not to dispute the previous comments tho, just to mention what works for me.

Snowman

Developer/Forum Fellow

From: Montreal, Canada

Registered: 2004-08-20

Posts: 5,212

Re: Help with external DVD

I haven't tried to burn a cd/dvd yet.  It's possible that you need rw. I have it on my old fstab for the cdwriter.