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24 Sep 09
Hi all..
Recently, I plan to buy an external DVD writer to replace the functionality of the broken internal DVD writer built into my laptop.
But I have a doubt, are all external DVD writers compatible with Linux? Could any of you recommend certain models that are compatible with Linux, specifically Fedora 9 with 2.6.31 kernel?
More over, (and probably you might already guessed) it should be a USB 2.0 based.Preferrably under US$ 100 and can be used for booting.
Thanks in advance for your help.
24 Sep 09
Dell sells one that works with its Ubuntu netbooks. Look up the mini 10v and see which model it comes with. Although, I really haven't come across an external usb cdrom drive that hasn't been recognized immediately by my Linux installs. Maybe I've been lucky. Does anyone here know of one that doesn't work?
24 Sep 09
Most CDROM devices conform to set specifications and are accepting using the default CDROM kernel driver. It should not matter if you are connecting it through IDE, SATA or USB. However prior to a purchase it is always a good idea to google the device model and linux to see if there are error reports from anyone.
The ability to use a USB CDROM for booting is not based upon the CDROM model, it is based upon your motherboard BIOS, you can check your boot options in your BIOS for a "USB - HDD" option which would specify that it is supported.
25 Sep 09
Hi all
Thanks for thoughts. I'll keep them in mind.
BTW, I check my laptop BIOS' menu and it has option to boot from USB CDROM. It's not named "USB HDD", instead it is named USB-CDROM but I believe that means my laptop support USB DVD booting.
I still welcome further opinions.
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