Problem: DVDs + Linux

[Cverick]

I have a Sony CRX300A DVD-ROM/CD-RW combo drive, and at first I thought it wasn't installed correctly, but I can rip music CD's fine with GRIP. So then I was thinking, maybe it just won't read DVD's, but I put in Family Guy, and it ran fine if I opened it up with VLC, but when I go to /mnt/cdrom, it won't show anything.

When I run VLC, it's linking to /dev/dvd, but I can't cd to it because it's not a directory. =/

The reason I ask, is that I got a copy of Linux Format, and I'd like to grab some of the applications off the CD, but I can't even get to it. =(

I'm pretty new to Linux, so bear with my newbishness.

[ZeroX]

you could just symlink the cdrom directory to the dvd directory. Sucks that a program (especiallay VLC) is coded to always expect /mnt/dvd. Any decent program should let you choose any device/mount point

anyway, to create the symlink, do this


cd /mnt
ln -s cdrom dvd


That'll create a new directory called dvd which is just a symbolic link to the cdrom directory. You can think of it in terms of "dvd" pointing to "cdrom" or "dvd" a shortcut to "cdrom".

[cloaked]

i dont think that is his problem, he probably just needs to mount it.
as root type
mkdir /mnt/dvd
mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
then you should be able to cd and cp off it

[Cverick]

Sorry, I must not have made my post clear enough

I have a DVD with data on it. I need to be able to get the stuff off the DVD, but I have no idea how to do that.

The DVD-ROM Drive is installed correctly, because I was able to watch an episode of Family Guy on DVD fine.

I have a feeling I have a setting messed up somewhere, because I keep reading something about editting /etc/fstab, and such files, but I don't know. 8(

[Cverick]

dont think that is his problem, he probably just needs to mount it.
as root type
mkdir /mnt/dvd
mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvd /mnt/dvd
then you should be able to cd and cp off it

YES! Thank you. That fixed my problem. Sorry ZeroX, I'm horrible at explaining stuff when I don't know what I'm talking about.

[cloaked]

to read disks in linux you must first mount them. this includes hdd partitions and removable media.
add this to your /etc/fstab and then mount /dev/dvd will work without all the other options
/dev/dvd [line up with next column] /mnt/dvd [line up with next] iso9660 [column break] noauto,user,ro [break] 0 0

[Cverick]

add this to your /etc/fstab and then mount /dev/dvd will work without all the other options
/dev/dvd [line up with next column] /mnt/dvd [line up with next] iso9660 [column break] noauto,user,ro [break] 0 0

What does this do exactly?

[cloaked]

it adds that location to a local database of file systems so you can invoke just one part of the mount command and it will look in fstab for the rest, saving time