LinuxQuestions.org - DISCUSSION: Burn a Linux ISO / MacOS X

I downloaded the DVD ISO image of CentOS 5.0 and its checksum was correct. VMware 5.5.4 (on White Box Linux 4) can install the ISO image directly from the disk. But I want to install it as the new host operating system on a new (500 GB) disk. With:

# mount -o loop -t iso9660 /home/dunkel/CentOS-5.0-i386-bin-DVD.iso /CentOS

I can mount it and access the contained filesystem. But how can I install the mounted ISO file on Linux? My next attempt was to write the ISO image to DVD. I use a LITE-ON DVD/CD writer SHM-165P6S. The command is:

# cdrecord -v dev=ATA:1,0,0 -sao -data CentOS-5.0-i386-bin-DVD.iso

No complaints during this write. But the resulting DVD can neither be mounted nor be read during an installation. Is there a free Linux application to write a bootable DVD ISO image? Next, I downloaded the six 32-bit CentOS 5.0 CD ISO files. I confirmed their checksums and wrote each to CD:

# cdrecord -v dev=ATA:1,0,0 -data CentOS-5.0-i386-bin-[1-6]of6.iso

When I check these CDs during installation, only 1of6 is stated to be correct. The remaining CD disks have challenges. I installed the OS nevertheless from these CDs. The installation went fine and during the reboot, the typical X Window system showed. But it disappears before the login. When I try to start another window system (using X, xinit, etc.), I get a complaint about a lock file in /tmp indicating another window system appears to be running. But I cannot see a way to display it!

This is not the first OS I installed using the described CD route. Does anybody notice apparent problems in my command to write the ISO DVD and CDs? Do I need to force a slower writing speed or write the CDs several times until they turn out to be correct? What could I do when no window system is displayed for the CentOS 5.0 login and thereafter? Would I likely have more luck installing an older RH Enterprise Linux first and then upgrading it to version 5?

ThanX