Original Poster: Old Polack
This is just a quicky.
The problem: Your computer sits on the floor, to your right. You can reach the button to open the tray, to drop in a DVD, or CD. After dropping the disk on the tray, you have to lean over to reach under the tray to reach the button to close it, or resort to pushing the tray itself, because you can't quite reach the button. Either way, there is a possibility of damaging the tray in the process.
The solution: A tray closing icon on the desktop.
Right click the desktop, and choose Create New --> Link to Application.
A Properties box opens, with "Link to Application" in the title box, highlighted for you to create a new name for the link. Type; Close Tray, as the new title. Click the blue gearwheel icon, and in the pop up, click the Applications button and choose Devices from the drop down menu. Choose a cdrom or dvd icon, whichever best describes your device. Next click the Application tab, and in the box next to Command type, "eject -T" (without the quotes). Click OK, and you have your icon.
If you have more than one optical drive, you need an icon for each. Label them as you feel appropriate, and type the command as;
eject -T cdrom
eject -T dvdrecorder
eject -T dvdrom
depending on what your /etc/fstab shows the device to be named. If you don't like the icon on the desktop proper, or like having it available even when the desktop is covered, drag it to the kicker panel, or the "quick launcher" on the panel, if you like really small, space saving, icons. You can then delete the original desktop icon, if you wish.
Enjoy
