CD/DVD Drive Problems (Etch 4.0)

["Dallas Clement" <dallas.a.clement@gmail.com>]

I just installed Debian Etch 4.0 on to a machine that has a NEC CDROM
/ DVD RW drive, and unfortunately it is having problems finding the
cdrom drive.

I noticed this when I tried to install a package such as:

debian:~# apt-get install kernel-package

It prompted to insert the DVD ISO that I used to install with:

MEDIA CHANGE: please insert the disc labeled
 'Debian GNU/Linux 4.0 r0 _Etch_- Official amd64 DVD Binary-1
20070407-12:15' in the drive '/cdrom/' and press enter

When I insert the DVD into the drive and press enter, the same message
is repeated as if nothing is recognized.

I can see that my cdrom is the device named 'hde' as seen:

debian:/dev# ls hde
brw-rw---- 1 root cdrom 33, 0 2007-05-11 13:59 hde

I have also verified that when the DVD disc is in the drive that it
also corresponds to device hde.

I don't understand why it is not working.  This problem would
occasionally happen for me with the Debian Etch "Testing" release.  If
I would reboot the computer, it would go away most of the time.  With
the 4.0 release, it doesn't matter how many times I restart, the cdrom
just ain't working.

Can anyone please help?

Thanks,

Dallas Clement