Про CD-R - на низком уровне не знаю, а на высоком - сейчас полно программ
# esearch -S cd.*burn
[ Results for search key : cd.*burn ]
[ Applications found : 6 ]
* app-cdr/bashburn
Latest version available: 1.5.2
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 41 kB
Homepage: http://bashburn.sourceforge.net
Description: cd burning shell script
License: GPL-2
* app-cdr/burncenter [ Masked ]
Latest version available: 3.2.1
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 15 kB
Homepage: http://alx14.free.fr/burncenter/
Description: A Perl module and a collection of easy-to-use text based interfaces to the UNIX CD burning tools
License: GPL-2
* app-cdr/gnomebaker
Latest version available: 0.4
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 740 kB
Homepage: http://gnomebaker.sf.net
Description: GnomeBaker is a GTK2/Gnome cd burning application.
License: GPL-2
* app-emacs/cdrw [ Masked ]
Latest version available: 1.2
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 7 kB
Homepage: ftp://ftp.cis.ohio-state.edu/pub/emacs-lisp/archive/
Description: Emacs dired frontend to various commandline CDROM burning tools
License: GPL-2
* app-misc/discomatic [ Masked ]
Latest version available: 0.3
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 97 kB
Homepage: http://discomatic.sourceforge.net
Description: GTK+ CD-ROM archiving tool for mastering and burning multiple CD-ROM
License: GPL-2
* gnome-extra/nautilus-cd-burner
Latest version available: 2.12.1
Latest version installed: 2.12.1
Size of downloaded files: 599 kB
Homepage: http://www.gnome.org/
Description: CD and DVD writer plugin for Nautilus
License: GPL-2 LGPL-2
# esearch -S nero
[ Results for search key : nero ]
[ Applications found : 4 ]
* app-cdr/nero [ Masked ]
Latest version available: 2.0.0.3b
Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ]
Size of downloaded files: 10,242 kB
Homepage: http://www.nero.com/en/NeroLINUX.html
Description: Nero Burning ROM for Linux
License: Nero
по флешкам - ну, лично у меня, при втыкании флешки сразу на десктопе её иконка появляется
А так - см. в сторону связки hal + ivman
Или же можно вручную. Флешка (первая воткнутая), если ядро поддерживает, монтируется на /dev/sda
Т.е. mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/flash