Follow the manufacturer's instructions for installing the hardware or
have your dealer perform the installation. The details will vary
depending on whether the drive is internal or external and on the type
of interface used. There are no special installation requirements for
Linux. You may need to set jumpers on the drive and/or interface card
for correct operation; some of the kernel drivers include
documentation files that include this information.
As explained in the file ide-cd, ATAPI CD-ROMS should be
jumpered as "single" or "master", and not "slave" when only one IDE
device is attached to an interface (although this restriction is no
longer enforced with recent kernels).
When initially installing Linux from CD-ROM you will likely be using a
boot and/or root disk provided as part of a Linux distribution. If
possible, you should choose a boot disk with the kernel driver for
your CD-ROM device type. If you cannot find a boot disk with the
necessary CD-ROM driver, you have several options:
Boot directly from CD-ROM (if supported by your computer and Linux CD)
Install over a network
Boot DOS, and install the Linux files onto your hard disk
Boot DOS, and create a set of floppies to install Linux
Find someone who can build you a boot disk with the needed
CD-ROM driver
The
Linux Installation HOWTO has more information on installing
Linux. If you purchased Linux on CD-ROM, it likely also came with some
installation instructions (that little booklet inside the jewel case,
and/or files on the CD).
Once Linux has initially been installed, most users will want to
compile their own kernel, usually for one of these reasons:
to support a CD-ROM drive or other hardware
to upgrade to a newer kernel release
to free up memory resources by minimizing the size of the kernel
The
Linux Kernel HOWTO should be consulted for the details of
building a kernel. I will just mention here some issues
that are specific to CD-ROM drives.
Obviously, you need to compile in support for your CD-ROM drive when
you do a "make config".
If you have an ATAPI CD-ROM drive, you need to answer yes to
the questions:
Enhanced IDE/MFM/RLL disk/cdrom/tape support (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDE) [Y/n/?]
Include IDE/ATAPI CDROM support (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_IDECD) [Y/n/?]
For SCSI CD-ROM drives, enable these options:
SCSI support (CONFIG_SCSI) [Y/n/m/?]
SCSI CDROM support (CONFIG_BLK_DEV_SR) [Y/n/m/?]
Also enable support for your SCSI host adapter when prompted, e.g.
Adaptec AHA152X/2825 support (CONFIG_SCSI_AHA152X) [Y/n/m/?]
For proprietary interface CD-ROM drives, enable the appropriate
driver. You can use the table listed previously to determine the
driver to use for your model.
Virtually all CD-ROMs use the ISO-9660 file system, so you must
also enable:
ISO 9660 CDROM filesystem support (CONFIG_ISO9660_FS) [Y/n/m/?]
Although not needed for CD-ROM operation, if you have a sound card
that is supported under Linux you might want to enable and configure
the kernel sound driver at this time as well. The
Sound HOWTO can be a useful reference here.
You should then follow the usual procedure for building the kernel and
installing it. Don't boot with the new kernel until you create the
device files and set up any boot time parameters as described in the
next section.
The ISO-9660 filesystem and almost all of the CD-ROM drivers can be
built as loadable kernel modules. This scheme allows the
kernel drivers to be loaded and unloaded without rebooting the kernel,
freeing up memory. I recommend you get your CD-ROM installation
running using compiled-in drivers first. How to use modules is
described in the modules documentation and the
Kernel HOWTO.
If a drive type listed here is not supported by your kernel, you
likely need to upgrade to a newer version.
It is possible that you need to use a driver that is distributed
separately from the kernel source code. This usually involves patching
the kernel. Again, the
Kernel HOWTO explains how to do this.
Note that there is a menu-based kernel configuration
program invoked by "make menuconfig" and an X11-based graphical
configuration invoked as "make xconfig". All three configuration
methods offer on-line help.
The kernel uses device files to identify which device driver to use.
If you are running a standard Linux distribution you may have created
the necessary device files during installation. Under Slackware
Linux, for example, there is a menu-based setup tool that
includes CD-ROM setup, and most systems have a /dev/MAKEDEV
script. If you don't use these methods, you can use the more manual
procedure listed in this section. Even if you use either of these
methods, it is recommended that you at least verify the device files
against the information in this section.
You create the device file by running the shell commands indicated for
your drive type. This should be done as user root. Note that
some Linux distributions may use slightly different CD-ROM device
names from those listed here.
It is recommended that you also create a symbolic link to the CD-ROM
device to make it easier to remember. For example, for an IDE CD-ROM
drive that is the second device on the secondary interface, the link
would be created using
# ln -s /dev/hdd /dev/cdrom
If you want to play audio CDs, you will need to set the protection on
the device file (the real file, not the symbolic link to it) to allow
all users to read, e.g.
# chmod 664 /dev/hdd
# ls -l /dev/hdd
brw-rw-r-- 1 root disk 22, 64 Feb 4 1995 /dev/hdd
When booting Linux, the device drivers attempt to determine whether
the appropriate devices are present, typically by probing specific
addresses. Many of the drivers auto-probe at several addresses, but
because of differences in configuration, possible device conflicts,
and hardware limitations, the drivers sometimes need help identifying
the addresses and other parameters. Most drivers support an option on
the kernel command line to pass this information to the device
driver. This can be done interactively, or more commonly, configured
into your boot loader. With LILO, for example, you would
add an append command such as the following to your
/etc/lilo.conf file:
append = "sbpcd=0x230,SoundBlaster"
See the LILO documentation for more information.
In the next section I discuss issues specific to individual device
drivers, including device files, boot parameters, and the capabilities
of the different drivers. You probably only need to read the section
relevant to your drive type. The documentation files are usually found
in the directory /usr/src/linux/Documentation/cdrom.
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
sbpcd=<io-address>,<interface-type>
where the first parameter is the base address of the device
(e.g. 0x230), and <interface-type> is one of "SoundBlaster",
"LaserMate", or "SPEA". See the file sbpcd.h for hints on
what interface type to use. Using sbpcd=0 disables
auto-probing, disabling the driver.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/sbpcd b 25 0
Up to four drives per controller are supported. The next three drives
on the first controller would use minor device numbers 1 through 3.
If you have more than one controller, create devices with major
numbers 26, 27, and 28, up to a maximum of 4 controllers (this is 16
CD-ROM drives in total; hopefully enough for most users :-).
See the file sbpcd for more information on this
driver.
If you recently bought a CD-ROM drive, don't assume that if it
connects to a SoundBlaster card it should use this kernel driver. Most
CD-ROM drives being sold by Creative Labs are now EIDE/ATAPI
drives.
Sonycdu535 Driver
Principal author: Ken Pizzini (ken@halcyon.com)
Multi-session support: no
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/sonycd535, major 24
Configuration file: sonycd535.h
Kernel config option: Sony CDU535 CDROM support?
Documentation file: sonycd535
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
sonycd535=<io-address>
where <io-address> is the base address of the controller
(e.g. 0x320). Alternatively you can set the address in the file
sonycd535.h and compile it in.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/sonycd535 b 24 0
Some Linux distributions use /dev/sonycd for this device.
Older versions of the driver used major device number 21; make sure
your device file is correct.
This driver was previously distributed as a patch but is now part of
the standard kernel. See the file sonycd535 for more
information on this driver.
Cdu31a Driver
Principal author: Corey Minyard (minyard@-rch.cirr.com)
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: yes
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/cdu31a, major 15
Configuration file: cdu31a.h
Kernel config option: Sony CDU31A/CDU33A CDROM support?
Documentation file: cdu31a
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
cdu31a=<io-address>,<interrupt>,PAS
The first number is the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340). The
second is the interrupt number to use (0 means to use polled i/o). The
optional third parameter should be "PAS" if the drive is connected to
a Pro-Audio Spectrum 16 sound card, otherwise left blank.
If the driver is loaded as a module, it uses a slightly different
format. When loading the driver using the modprobe or insmod command,
the parameters take the form:
cdu31a_port=<io-address> cdu31a_irq=<interrupt>
The base io-address is required while the interrupt number is optional.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/cdu31a b 15 0
See the file cdu31a for more information on this
driver.
Principal author: Werner Zimmermann (zimmerma@rz.fht-esslingen.de)
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/aztcd0, major 29
Configuration file: aztcd.h
Kernel config option: Aztech/Orchid/Okano/Wearnes (non IDE) CDROM support?
Documentation file: aztcd
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
aztcd=<io-address>
where the parameter is the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340).
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/aztcd0 b 29 0
Note that this driver is for the CDA268-01A only. Other models,
including the CDA268-03I and CDA269-031SE are not proprietary and
should use the IDECD (ATAPI) kernel driver.
See the file aztcd for more information on this driver.
Gscd Driver
Principal author: Oliver Raupach (raupach@nwfs1.rz.fh-hannover.de)
Multi-session support: no
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/gscd0, major 16
Configuration file: gscd.h
Kernel config option: Goldstar R420 CDROM support?
Documentation file: gscd
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
gscd=<io-address>
specifying the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340).
Principal author: Martin (martin@bdsi.com)
Multi-session support: no
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/mcd, major 23
Configuration file: mcd.h
Kernel config option: Standard Mitsumi CDROM support?
Documentation file: mcd
This is the older driver for Mitsumi drivers that has been available
for some time. You might want to try the newer mcdx driver,
which has some new features but is possibly less stable.
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
mcd=<io-address>,<irq>
specifying the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340) and the IRQ
request number used.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/mcd b 23 0
See the file mcd for more information on this driver.
Mcdx Driver
Principal author: Heiko Schlittermann
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: yes
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no (not supported by hardware)
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/mcdx0, major 20
Configuration file: mcdx.h
Kernel config option: Experimental Mitsumi support?
Documentation file: mcdx
This is a newer driver for Mitsumi drivers. The older and possibly
more stable mcd driver is still available.
This driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
mcdx=<io-address>,<irq>
specifying the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340) and the IRQ
request number used.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/mcdx0 b 20 0
If you recently bought a Mitsumi CD-ROM drive, don't assume that it
should use this kernel driver. New Mitsumi drives are now EIDE/ATAPI
compatible and should use the idecd kernel driver instead.
See the file mcdx for more information on this driver.
Cm206 Driver
Principal author: David A. van Leeuwen (david@tm.tno.)
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: yes
Device file: /dev/cm206cd, major 32
Configuration file: cm206.h
Kernel config option: Philips/LMS CM206 CDROM support?
Documentation file: cm206
The driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
cm206=<io-address>,<interrupt>
where the first number is the I/O base address of the card
(e.g. 0x340). The second is the interrupt channel.
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/cm206cd b 32 0
See the file cm206 for more information on this
driver.
Optcd Driver
Principal author: Leo Spiekman (spiekman@dutette.et.tudelft.nl)
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/optcd0, major 17
Configuration file: optcd.h
Kernel config option: Experimental Optics Storage ... CDROM support?
Documentation file: optcd
The driver accepts a kernel command line of the form
optcd=<io-address>
to specify the I/O base address of the card (e.g. 0x340).
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/optcd0 b 17 0
See the file optcd for more information on this
driver.
Sjcd Driver
Principal author: Vadim V. Model (vadim@rbrf.msk.su)
Multi-session support: no
Multiple drive support: no
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: no
Device file: /dev/sjcd, major 18
Configuration file: sjcd.h
Kernel config option: Experimental Sanyo H94A CDROM support?
Documentation file: sjcd
The driver accepts a kernel command line of the form:
sjcd=<io-address>,<interrupt>,<dma>
indicating the base address, interrupt, and DMA channel to be used
(e.g. sjcd=0x340,10,5).
The device file can be created using:
# mknod /dev/sjcd b 18 0
See the file sjcd for more information on this driver.
Paride Driver
Principal author: Grant R. Guenther (grant@torque.net)
Multi-session support: no
Multiple drive support: yes
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: yes
Device file: /dev/pcd0, major 46
Configuration file: bpcd.h
Kernel config option: Parallel port IDE device support?
Documentation file: paride.txt
This is the driver for various types of storage devices that attach to
a parallel port. Normally the driver will auto-detect the parallel
port device. The documentation describes parameters that can be used
to specify the device parameters if auto-detection does not work.
The device file for the first drive can be created using:
# mknod /dev/pcd0 b 46 0
See the file /usr/src/linux/Documentation/paride.xt for
more information on this driver. Note that this replaces the bpcd
driver that was present in older kernels.
SCSI Driver
Principal author: David Giller
Multi-session support: yes (depending on drive)
Multiple drive support: yes
Loadable module support: yes
Reading audio frames: no
Auto-probing: yes
Device file: /dev/scd0, major 11
Configuration file: cdrom.h
Kernel config option: SCSI CDROM support?
Documentation file: scsi.txt
There are kernel command line option specific to each type of SCSI
controller. See the
SCSI HOWTO for more information.
Multiple drives are supported (up to the limit of the maximum number
of devices on the SCSI bus). Create device files with major number 11
and minor numbers starting at zero:
# mknod /dev/scd0 b 11 0
# mknod /dev/scd1 b 11 1
While the kernel driver itself does not support reading digital audio
frames, some SCSI drives have the capability and will work with the
cdda2wav program (which uses the generic SCSI kernel interface).
Also see the discussion of the IDE SCSI emulation driver
earlier in this document.
IDECD Driver
Principal author: Scott Snyder (snyder@fnald0.fnal.gov)
Multi-session support: yes
Multiple drive support: yes
Loadable module support: no
Reading audio frames: yes (on supported drives)
Auto-probing: yes
Device file: /dev/hd{a,b,c,d}, major 22
Configuration file: cdrom.h
Kernel config option: Include support for IDE/ATAPI CDROMs?
Documentation file: ide-cd
This is the driver for ATAPI CD-ROMS. The driver accepts a kernel
command line of the form
hdx=cyls,heads,sects,wpcom,irq
or
hdx=cdrom
where hdx can be any of {hda,hdb,hdc,hdd}, or simply hd, for
the "next" drive in sequence. Only the first three parameters are
required (cyls,heads,sects). For example hdc=1050,32,64
hdd=cdrom.
Getting the IDE driver to recognize your CD-ROM drive can be tricky,
especially if you have more than 2 devices or more than one IDE
controller. Usually all that is required is to pass the right command
line options from LILO. The file
/usr/src/linux/Documentation/cdrom/ide-cd explains how to do
this. Read it carefully.
Recent Linux kernels have better support for multiple IDE devices. If
you have problems with an older kernel, upgrading may help.
Some IDE controllers have hardware problems which the kernel driver
can work around. You may need to pass additional parameters to the
driver to enable this. See the documentation for details.
You can now reboot with the new kernel. Watch for a message such as
the following indicating that the CD-ROM has been found by the device
driver (the message will vary depending on the drive type):
hdd: NEC CD-ROM DRIVE:282, ATAPI CDROM drive
If the bootup messages scroll by too quickly to read, you should be
able to retrieve them using dmesg or tail
/var/log/messages.
If the drive is not found, then a problem has occurred, See the
section on troubleshooting.
To mount a CD-ROM, insert a disc in the drive, and run the
mount command as root (this assumes you created a
symbolic link to your device file as recommended above and that an
empty directory /mnt/cdrom exists):
# mount -t iso9660 -r /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
The CD can now be accessed under the directory /mnt/cdrom.
There are other options to the mount command that you may
wish to use; see the mount(8) man page for details.
You can add an entry to /etc/fstab to automatically mount a
CD-ROM when Linux boots or to specify parameters to use when it is
mounted; see the fstab(5) man page.
Note that to play audio CDs you should not try to mount them.
To unmount a CD-ROM, use the umount command as root:
# umount /mnt/cdrom
The disc can only be unmounted if no processes are currently accessing
the drive (including having their default directory set to the mounted
drive). You can then eject the disc. Most drives have an eject button;
there is also a standalone
eject program
that allows ejecting CD-ROMs under software control.
Note that you should not eject a disc while it is mounted
(this may or may not be possible depending on the type of drive). Some
CD-ROM drivers can automatically eject a CD-ROM when it is unmounted
and insert the CD tray when a disc is mounted (you can turn this
feature off when compiling the kernel or by using a software command).
Its possible that after playing an audio CD you may not be able to
mount a CD-ROM. You need to send a CD audio "stop" command (using a CD
player program) before trying the mount. This problem only appears to
occur with the SBPCD driver.
Recent kernels support a kernel-based automounter which
provides transparent mounting of removable media including CD-ROM. You
can find the tools needed to use it at
ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/linux/daemons/autofs/.
If you still encounter problems after following the instructions in
the HOWTO, here are some things to check. The checks are listed in
increasing order of complexity. If a check fails, solve the problem
before moving to the next stage.
Step 1: Make sure you are really running the kernel you compiled
You can check the date stamp on the kernel to see if you are running
the one that you compiled with CD-ROM support. You can do this
with the uname command:
% uname -a
Linux fizzbin 2.2.4 #1 Tue Mar 232 11:23:21 EST 1999 i586 unknown
or by displaying the file /proc/version:
% cat /proc/version
Linux version 2.2.4 (root@fizzbin) (gcc version 2.7.2.3) #1 Tue Mar 23 11:23:21 EST 1999
If the date stamp doesn't match when you compiled the kernel, then you
are running an old kernel. Did you remember to reboot? If you use
LILO, did you re-install it (typically by running
/sbin/lilo)? If booting from floppy, did you create a new
boot floppy and use it when booting?
Step 2: Make sure the proper kernel drivers are compiled in
You can see what drivers are compiled in by looking at
/proc/devices:
If any of the drivers you thought you compiled in are not displayed,
then something went wrong with the kernel configuration or
build. Start the installation process again, beginning with
configuration and building of the kernel.
Step 3: Did the kernel detect your drive during booting?
Make sure that the CD-ROM device was detected when the kernel
booted. You should have seen a message on bootup. If the messages
scrolled off the screen, you can usually recall them using the
dmesg command:
% dmesg
or
% tail /var/log/messages
If your drive was not found then something is wrong. Make sure it is
powered on and all cables are connected. If your drive has hardware
jumpers for addressing, check that they are set correctly (e.g. drive
0 if you have only one drive). ATAPI CD-ROMS must be jumpered as
"single" or "master", and not "slave" when only one IDE device is
attached to an interface. If the drive works under DOS then you can be
reasonably confident that the hardware is working.
Many kernel drivers using auto-probing, but some do not,
and in any case the probing is not always reliable. Use the kernel
command line option listed for your kernel driver type. You may want
to try several different values if you are not sure of the i/o address
or other parameters. LILO can be (and usually is) configured to allow
you to enter the parameters manually when booting.
Another possibility is that you used the wrong kernel driver for your
CD-ROM driver. Some documentation may refer to proprietary interfaces
as IDE, leading some to mistakenly believe they are ATAPI drives.
Another possibility is that your drive (or interface card) is one of
the "compatible" type that requires initialization by the DOS
driver. Try booting DOS and loading the vendor supplied DOS device
driver. Then soft boot Linux using Control-Alt-Delete.
If your drive is not listed in this document, it is possible that
there are no drivers for it available under Linux. You can check with
some of the references listed at the end of this document for
assistance.
Step 4: Can you read data from the drive?
Try reading from the CD-ROM drive. Typing the following command should
cause the drive activity light (if present) to come on and no errors
should be reported. Use whatever device file is appropriate for your
drive and make sure a CD-ROM is inserted; use Control-C to exit.
# dd if=/dev/cdrom of=/dev/null bs=2048
^C
124+0 records in
124+0 records out
If this works, then the kernel is communicating with the drive and you
can move on to step 5.
If not, then a possible cause is the device file. Make sure than the
device file in the /dev directory has the correct major and
minor numbers as listed previously for your drive type. Check that the
permissions on the device file allow reading and writing.
A remote possibility is a hardware problem. Try testing the drive
under another operating system, if possible, to determine if this
could be the case.
Step 5: Can you mount the drive?
If you can read from the drive but cannot mount it, first
verify that you compiled in ISO-9660 file system support by reading
/proc/filesystems, as described previously.
Make sure you are mounting the drive with the "-t iso9660" and "-r"
options and that a known good ISO-9660 CD-ROM (not Audio CD) is
inserted in the drive. You normally must mount drives as user
root.
Make sure that the mount point exists and is an empty directory.
If you are automatically mounting the CD-ROM on bootup, make sure that
you have correct entries in the /etc/fstab file.
If you are running the syslog daemon, there may be error messages from
the kernel that you are not seeing. Try using the "dmesg" command:
% dmesg
SBPCD: sbpcd_open: no disk in drive
There may also be errors logged to files in /var/log,
depending on how your system is configured.
Debugging Audio Problems
If the drive works with CD-ROMs, but not for playing audio CDs, here
are some possible solutions.
You need an application program to play audio CDs. Some applications
may be broken or may not be compatible with your drive. Try other
applications and/or try recompiling them yourself. A good place
to look for software is
ftp://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/apps/sound/cdrom/.
A few of the CD-ROM drivers do not support playing Audio CDs. Check
the documentation file or source code to see if that is the case.
Check if the audio can be played through the headphone jack. If so,
then the problem is likely related to your sound card. Use a mixer
program to set the input device and volume levels. Make sure you have
installed an audio cable from the CD-ROM drive to the sound card. Make
sure that the kernel sound card driver is installed and working (see
the
Sound HOWTO).
When All Else Fails
If you still have problems, here are some final suggestions for things
to try:
carefully re-read this HOWTO document
read the references listed at the end of this document,
especially the relevant kernel source files
post a question to one of the comp.os.linux or
other usenet newsgroups
send a question to the Linux mailing list
try using the latest Linux kernel
contact your computer dealer
contact the CD-ROM manufacturer
send mail to the maintainer of the relevant kernel driver (look in
the file /usr/src/linux/MAINTAINERS)
Copyright ｩ 2000 TUCOWS.COM Inc.
TUCOWS.COM Inc. has no liability for any content or goods on the TUCOWS site or the
Internet, except as set forth in the terms
and conditions and privacy
statement.
