Gnome can play your CDs on your computer. You can setup you CD preferences in the CD Properties capplet in the Advanced section of the Gnome Control Center. Once open, you'll see the window is broken into two sections: Data CDs and Audio CDs. Data CDs are CDs which hold information that the system can execute. These often times include CDs that have programs or a CD which you burned family pictures to. The first option is Automatically mount CD when inserted. By enabling this option, you can have your CD auto-detected when you insert it. Linux and Unix systems use a term called mounting to identify recognizing a device. If you "mount" your CD-ROM, that means that your system can recognize the CD-ROM and you can interact with it. If it us unmounted, then the system does not know of its existance and can do almost nothing with it. The second option, Automatically start auto-run program on newly mounted CD allows the system to run the program on the CD automatically when the disk is first mounted. The last option, Open file manager window for newly mounted CD tells the system to open your file manager (Nautilus by default) when the CD is mounted. This is useful if you have a CD of images from your family reunion you wish to browse. It will open up in Nautilus which will let you view the thumbnails. The Audio CDs section has only one option. This allows the system to load up a CD player when you insert the CD. You simply click the checkbox and enter the command you wish to run in the input dialog. Audio CDs don't need to be mounted to play the CD.