HD Install :: Need help getting CDROM mounted

Hello,
I have done a hard drive install DSL on an IBM Thinkpad 600x. I am new to linux (i bought this thinkpad specifically to play around with linux) and cannot seem to get the cd rom mounted.

The mounting tool only shows the unmounted swap partition and the mounted install partition when i click it.

I tried browsing to /cdrom in the file manager and doing right click > mount but that doesnt seem to work either (i tried all the places i could find a /cdrom directory such as /mnt/cdrom)

I also tried starting the computer with a data cd in the drive and without it in the drive with no success.

The cd "works" as that is how i installed DSL.

The cd is currently the only way i have to get data onto the machine because it does not yet have any network or wifi card.

This is probably something very simple that i am missing because i am not used to linux and am not really familiar with the file system.

Anyone who can point to a good online tutorial on basic functions of linux would have my thanks aswell.

I am curious why your swap partition is showing as unmounted in the slit....when you left click on cdrom to highlite and then right click for a menu and left click mount..what happens..does it change to an empty directory..did you try this in both emelfm and emelfm as super user..

Thank you for the reply,

Yes it does change to an empty directory.

How would i go about using the file manager as a super user.

right click on the desktop for a menu go to apps/tools/emelfm/emelfm as super..looks the same but you are as root.

what is the message in the message box below. when you mount the drive

did you try another cd like a music cd or something. although you may not see the content of a commercial music cd in emelfm you could open xmms and choose a new directory and choose cdrom..if the cd lists and plays..this confirms the cd is functioning after install.

I tried an audio cd. Altho i cannot hear it it appears to be playing ( i dont know if i need to configure the sound card or if i need to unmute something). The tracks are correct and the time advances while the cdrom drive light blinks like it is reading.

I tried as regular user and super user and i get this message.

mount: can not find /home in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

i also get this same message if i try to mount from the command line with "sudo su"

looking in fstab the cdrom line reads:
/dev/cdrom /cdrom iso9660 defaults,ro,user,noexec,noauto 0 0

i dont see a cdrom line in mtab.

I have also tried to mount a usb drive however although the light on the stick blinks and then goes solid when i plug it in no entry appears in the mounting tool and i dont even know where to go to try to mount it with the file manager.

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