For closure this is how I freed the CDROM problem referred to in my 6/25/05 post.
Using i386 Knoppix CD 3.2.8, Linu kernel 2.6.11 beginner installed to a non-bootable external USB drive partition (uba4). Two ATAPI cd drives on the secondary IDE channel (/hd[cd]). Boot from knoppix-cd on /dev/hdc
From pivot_root install directions (changes in RED, my comments added):
# sudo su #gives superuser priveleges.
# mkdir /mnt/new_root #Any name e.g. usbroot will do.
# mount /dev/uba4 /mnt/new_root #Makes the file system on uba4 accessible
# cd /mnt/new_root #Working directory from RAM root to uba4
# pivot_root . /mnt/new_root/mnt/old-root #Switches root to uba4 from RAM with a copy of the RAM root put in the /mnt/old_root subfolder on uba4. The /mnt/old_root subfolder was mkdir on the initial boot-up and could have been named anything e.g. oldramroot.
# mount -t proc /proc /proc #Mount all active processes of type proc to the /proc subfolder.
# echo 0 > /proc/sys/dev/cdrom/lock #unlocks the cdrom eject button
# umount -dl /mnt/old_root/cdrom #Force unmount of old root access to cdrom
# eject #ejects the Knoppix-CD. Complains the drive is not referred to as /cdrom.
# /etc/init.d/autofs start #make automount active! In /etc/auto.master we comment out aotomount.sh and remove the comment to use auto.mnt
# init 5
HGST Ultrastar HE10 HUH721010ALE600 10TB SATA 6Gb/s 7200RPM 3.5" Enterprise HDD
$74.99
WD4000FYYZ Western Digital 4TB SATA 3.5 Hard Drive
$149.99
WF12F DELL 1TB 7.2K 6GBPS SATA 2.5'' HDD HARD DRIVE ST91000640NS 0WF12F
$25.00
Western Digital WD60PURZ 6TB Hard Drive SATA6 Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch
$109.99
HGST Ultrastar DC HC520 12TB SATA 6Gb 256MB 3.5" Enterprise HDD- HUH721212ALE601
$82.99
Seagate Exos 7E10 ST2000NM000B 2TB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
$29.99
2 PACK Seagate ST1000LM035 Mobile HDD 1TB 2.5" SATA III Laptop Hard Drive
$27.25
TOSHIBA MD04ABA400V 4TB 128MB Cache SATA 6. 0Gb/s 3. 5"
$18.00
WD 16TB Elements Desktop, Certified Refurbished Hard Drive - RWDBWLG0160HBK-NESN
$174.99
Seagate ST12000NM0538 Exos X14 12TB 3.5" SATA 6Gbps 3.5" Enterprise Hard Drive
$45.96