[dvd::rip] Total newb questions

hi,
   I have not spent much time with dvdrip so I apologize for the
remedial nature of the question, but basically what do I have to do to
get started using this tool?

   I run it, go to preferences and change a few things on the first
page and ask it to check all settings I get the output listed down
below. Mostly iy looks good to me. I don't know what to set the
cdrecord device to. All numbers seem to work. I'll emerge xcdroast a
bit later. There's some problem with portage right now.

   I then go under 'Rip Title' and try to read the table of contents.
dvdrip does nothing. I get nothing in the list area. If I hit the
'View selected titles' button I finally get a bit of error response in
my xterm:

<SNIP>
Warning unknown option cache_min at line 144
Warning unknown option cache_prefill at line 147

77 audio & 189 video codecs
Setting up LIRC support...
mplayer: could not connect to socket
mplayer: No such file or directory
Failed to open LIRC support.
You will not be able to use your remote control.
Playing dvd://1.
libdvdread: Using libdvdcss version 1.2.8 for DVD access
libdvdread: Could not open /dev/dvd with libdvdcss.
libdvdread: Can't open /dev/dvd for reading
Couldn't open DVD device: /dev/dvd


Exiting... (End of file)
<SNIP>

Thanks in advance,
Mark


DVD device: /dev/dvd writable : Ok
DVD mount point: /mnt/cdrom exists : Ok
Default data base directory: /TVstorage writable : Ok
Default directory for .rip project files: /TVstorage writable : Ok
OGG file extension: not tested : Ok

DVD player command: /usr/bin/mplayer executable : Ok
File player command: /usr/bin/mplayer executable : Ok
STDIN player command: /usr/bin/xine executable : Ok
rar command (for vobsub compression): /opt/bin/rar executable : Ok

Writer device file: /dev/cdroms/cdrom0 writable : Ok
cdrecord device (n,n,n or filename): 0,X,0 has not format n,n,n and is
no file : NOT Ok
cdrecord command: /usr/lib/xcdroast-0.98/bin/xcdrwrap not found : NOT Ok
cdrdao command: /usr/bin/cdrdao executable : Ok
mkisofs command: /usr/bin/mkisofs executable : Ok
vcdimager command: /usr/bin/vcdimager executable : Ok
Writing speed: 16 is numeric : Ok
Estimate ISO size: not tested : Ok
CD-RW blank method: not tested : Ok

cdrdao driver: not tested : Ok
Overburning: not tested : Ok
Eject disc after write: not tested : Ok
Buffersize: is empty : Ok

Start cluster control daemon locally: not tested : Ok
Hostname of server with daemon: not tested : Ok
TCP port number of daemon: 28646 is numeric : Ok

Default video codec: not tested : Ok
Default container format: not tested : Ok
Startup window width: not tested : Ok
Startup window height: not tested : Ok
Preferred language: not tested : Ok
Show tooltips: not tested : Ok