Ejecting Live CDs

[KC0VWU]

I'm sort of addicted to trying new Linux live cds lately and in some cases it is almost impossible to get the CD out once you are done. Some eject, some don't. I've been using the old paperclip trick but there has got to be a better way. Do you guys have the same problem?

[kl7aj]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ Mar. 11 2007,16:07)]I'm sort of addicted to trying new Linux live cds lately and in some cases it is almost impossible to get the CD out once you are done. Some eject, some don't. I've been using the old paperclip trick but there has got to be a better way. Do you guys have the same problem?
be sure to do a "umount" command before trying to eject. It thinks it's "busy".

eric

[KC0VWU]

Okay thanks I'll have to look into that.

[KI4MRU]

In my experience, before rebooting or shutting down, most live CDs will explicitly pause and give you the opportunity to remove the CD. This usually happens after the shutdown process has started, but before it has fully completed. If all else fails, I usually just leave it in there and pop it out really quick after the reboot happens, before it has a chance to boot from the CD again. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Saves me from having to find a paper clip.

[WD8OQX]

Unless you tell it different on boot, the OS will automount & hold the CD ( there are settings to release it so you can use the drive) - as long as it is mounted it will NOT release it - umount will unmount it & so will rebooting. - paperclip should be a last resort. (but if all else fails)

http://www.cheesebuerger.de/images/more/bigs/a032.gif <<< this won't work either http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[W4ETE]

My favorite LiveCD is Puppy Linux. Once it loads everything into RAM, the CD drive is free to use for other disks.

73,
Matt W4ETE

PS - Unmounting the drive is the key to getting most CDs to eject as stated already.

[n2ize]

Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ Mar. 11 2007,16:07)]I'm sort of addicted to trying new Linux live cds lately and in some cases it is almost impossible to get the CD out once you are done. Some eject, some don't. I've been using the old paperclip trick but there has got to be a better way. Do you guys have the same problem?
The live cd's are great but sooner or later I would advise you graduate to a fully installed distro.

[WA7KKP]

In Linux, you have to unmount drives if you wish to remove them. Floppies aren't dependent on unmounting, but CD drives have the exject button disabled when they're mounted in a Linux file system.

Since the CD is the guts to the o/s, unmounting it is paramount to decapitation of the computer. I think you just have to do the Ctl-Alt-Delete to reboot, and pop the CD out so the HD will boot from its MBR into Windows (I shudder!!!)

Gary WA7KKP

[KC0VWU]

Quote[/b] (n2ize @ Mar. 14 2007,14:37)]Quote[/b] (KC0VWU @ Mar. 11 2007,16:07)]I'm sort of addicted to trying new Linux live cds lately and in some cases it is almost impossible to get the CD out once you are done. Some eject, some don't. I've been using the old paperclip trick but there has got to be a better way. Do you guys have the same problem?
The live cd's are great but sooner or later I would advise you graduate to a fully installed distro.
That is the plan but I want to get a cheap/used computer to try it on. I have too much stuff on my main PC and I'm not inclined to want to mess with it too much. As soon as garage sale season hits I'll be set.

[ka5piu]

Hello.

The trouble with a full blown install is all the messy partitions.
But wait! (TV announcer voice) there IS a way!
What you need to do is hunt down a spare drive.
This can even be a thumb drive but a good used internal will work just fine.
Now, install LiLo to your C: drive and install your distro to the "new" drive.
You CAN have your cake and eat it too.
But, you protest, I have a loptop.
One option is an external drive.
A lot of newer machines can boot from a USB device, so one can simply decide what to boot into by what is connected.
If the boot order is USB,CD,HD, and you have Linux on the external device you get Linux, nice how that works.
If the machine can not boot from an external USB device it can be a problem, as this may mean that USB drivers must be loaded before the port can be used.
I have yet to find a complete solution to that problem.

[k3wrv]

"That is the plan but I want to get a cheap/used computer to try it on. I have too much stuff on my main PC and I'm not inclined to want to mess with it too much. As soon as garage sale season hits I'll be set."

New Hard drives are pretty cheap these days ($30 for 100 Gigs at Microcenter or Office Depot and others (after rebates)). Just dual boot the machine.

Have heard that Ubuntu will repartition NTFS drives w/o problems, but I just find a cheap drive and use brute force!