diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt rootcd/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt
--- linux/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt	Wed Jun 20 19:21:33 2001
+++ rootcd/Documentation/kernel-parameters.txt	Thu Jul 12 15:46:43 2001
@@ -506,6 +506,9 @@
 
 	root=		[KNL] root filesystem.
 
+	rootcd=		[KNL] Mount root filesystem on the first CD-ROM if the
+			value is not 0.
+
 	rw		[KNL] Mount root device read-write on boot.
 
 	S		[KNL] run init in single mode.
diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c rootcd/drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c
--- linux/drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c	Fri May  4 23:09:23 2001
+++ rootcd/drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c	Thu Jul 12 15:45:27 2001
@@ -2492,6 +2492,11 @@
         return proc_dostring(ctl, write, filp, buffer, lenp);
 }
 
+kdev_t get_first_cdrom_dev(void)
+{
+	return topCdromPtr ? topCdromPtr->dev : 0;
+}
+
 /* Unfortunately, per device settings are not implemented through
    procfs/sysctl yet. When they are, this will naturally disappear. For now
    just update all drives. Later this will become the template on which
diff -urN -X dontdiff linux/init/main.c rootcd/init/main.c
--- linux/init/main.c	Thu Jul 12 15:01:48 2001
+++ rootcd/init/main.c	Thu Jul 12 15:45:48 2001
@@ -304,6 +304,17 @@
 
 __setup("root=", root_dev_setup);
 
+static int rootcd_enable __initdata = 0;
+
+static int __init rootcd_setup(char *str)
+{
+	get_option(&str, &rootcd_enable);
+	return 1;
+}
+
+__setup("rootcd=", rootcd_setup);
+
+
 static int __init checksetup(char *line)
 {
 	struct kernel_param *p;
@@ -728,6 +739,7 @@
  */
 static void prepare_namespace(void)
 {
+	extern kdev_t get_first_cdrom_dev(void); /* drivers/cdrom/cdrom.c */
 #ifdef CONFIG_BLK_DEV_INITRD
 	int real_root_mountflags = root_mountflags;
 	if (!initrd_start)
@@ -747,6 +759,8 @@
 #endif
 
 	/* Mount the root filesystem.. */
+	if (rootcd_enable)
+		ROOT_DEV = get_first_cdrom_dev();
 	mount_root();
 
 	mount_devfs_fs ();