CD access Ubuntu 8.04 / vmware player / Visduh

[Eric Shubert]

Eric Shubert wrote:
> I have a Ubuntu 8.04 host, running a Visduh guest using vmware player 
> 2.5.1. It's working pretty well, but I don't really use Visduh much.
> 
> I'm trying to use the Windoze media player to rip a CD, accessing the 
> CDrom directly. The Vista VM is connected to the /dev/scd0 device, but 
> when I insert the CD, Ubuntu delightfully and magically puts the Audio 
> CD icon on my desktop, and launches the Sound Juicer. Ubuntu takes 
> possession of the CD device, and Visduh waits for access.
> 
> I can't seem to figure out how to get Ubuntu to release the device so 
> that VMware/Visduh can access it. Once I eject the disc from Ubuntu, 
> Visduh stops waiting for the device. When Ubuntu has access to the CDrom 
> device, there's no entry in /etc/mtab, so the device isn't mounted by 
> conventional means.
> 
> Can someone fill me in on where to look to find out what Ubuntu's using 
> to access the CDrom, and how I can get it to release (umount?) the da*m 
> thing without ejecting it?
> 
> TIA.
> 

To disable:
# hal-disable-polling --device /dev/scd0
This allows the VM guest to access/control the device directly.

To re-enable:
# hal-disable-polling --device /dev/scd0 --enable-polling

Kind of a screwy command if you ask me.

FWIW, does anyone know of a gnome way to turn device polling off/on?
-- 
-Eric 'shubes'