Fwd: Re: automounting cd-rom & cd-rw devices

[Malcolm Kay]

----------  Forwarded Message  ----------

Subject: Re: automounting cd-rom & cd-rw devices
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 19:20:36 +0930
From: Malcolm Kay <malcolm.kay at internode.on.net>
To: Rob <nospam at users.sourceforge.net>

On Sunday 28 March 2004 17:34, Rob wrote:
> Malcolm Kay wrote:
> > On Sunday 28 March 2004 11:43, Jay Moore wrote:
> >>2) What is the "best way" to allow ordinary users to mount cd's?
> >
> > The best way is inevitably a matter of opinion.
> > But it can be done without installing any additional ports.
> >
> > First:
> > # sysctl vfs.usermount=1
> > allows users to mount and then unmount drives provided other things
> > are in order. You can make this happen during the normal boot by adding
> >   vfs.usermount=1
> > to /etc/ sysctl.conf
>
> Remotely, I was following this discussion; I'm suprised by this solution
> and I wonder how I ever would be able to find out myself about this
> misterious sysctl-magic.
>
> I did 'apropos usermount', 'man sysctl' and 'man sysctl.conf', and all did
> not give me any hint to the above vfs.usermount solution.
> Also 'sysctl -ad | grep vfs.usermount' outputs no info.
>
> Actually, I had this feeling with other answers on this list: 'set
> this-or-that sysctl variable'. I never could find any info on my FreeBSD
> box, to help me further understand.
>
> What is this sysctl-black-magic about and where is more information?

I'm certainly no Guru that knows all about sysctl, and can't recall how I
discovered this. However in /usr/share/doc/en/books/faq I find:

9.15. How do I let ordinary users mount floppies, CDROMs and other
      removable media?

Malcolm

-------------------------------------------------------