Please attach the logfiles (/var/log/YaST2) and the output of `hwinfo --cdrom' - if this is a CD-Writer, YaST will probably only create /dev/cdrecorder, does /dev/cdrecorder exist?

no, /dev/cdrecorder never existed. /dev/cdrom now exists. It is a cd/dvd read/writer.

duffman:~ # hwinfo --cdrom
21: SCSI 100.0: 10602 CD-ROM (DVD)
  [Created at block.192]
  UDI: /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/storage_model_CDRW/DVD_TSL462C
  Unique ID: twPO.2z220kvs0J9
  Parent ID: w7Y8.xE5WkOd6LU0
  SysFS ID: /block/sr0
  SysFS BusID: 1:0:0:0
  SysFS Device Link: /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:1f.2/host1/target1:0:0/1:0:0:0
  Hardware Class: cdrom
  Model: "TSSTcorp CDRW/DVD TSL462C"
  Vendor: "TSSTcorp"
  Device: "CDRW/DVD TSL462C"
  Revision: "DE01"
  Driver: "ata_piix", "sr"
  Device File: /dev/sr0 (/dev/sg1)
  Device Files: /dev/sr0, /dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0, /dev/cdrom
  Device Number: block 11:0 (char 21:1)
  Config Status: cfg=yes, avail=yes, need=no, active=unknown
  Attached to: #13 (IDE interface)
  Drive Speed: 24
  Volume ID: "SU1000.001"
  Application: "SuSE-Linux-DVD-10.0#0"
  Publisher: "Novell, Inc."
  Preparer: "CD-Team, http://www.suse.de/feedback"
  Creation date: "2005092018262900"
  El Torito info: platform 0, bootable
    Boot Catalog: at sector 0x0476
    Id String: "Novell, Inc."
    Media: none starting at sector 0x0477
    Load: 2048 bytes
duffman:~ #      

Created attachment 70448 [details]
log

Which logfile is that? You can safely attach all logfiles when asked for, the directory contains more information than the logs itself which makes debugging easier. Hardware: Other? What machine is that?

Created attachment 70711 [details]
logs

The hardware is a Dell Latitude D610, btw. booted from a USB disk

Reassigning to Thomas.

The file /etc/udev/rules.d/65-cdrom.rules contains:

SUBSYSTEM=="block", ENV{ID_PATH}=="pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0", SYSFS{removable}=="1", SYMLINK+="cdrom"

which seems to be correct.

Please check why the symlink was not created by udev.

what does:
  udevtest /block/sr0
print?

duffman:~ # udevtest /block/sr0
main: Usage: udevtest <devpath> <subsystem>
duffman:~ # udevtest block sr0
main: looking at device '/block' from subsystem 'sr0'
main: opened class_dev->name='block'
main: only char and block devices with a dev-file are supported by this test program
duffman:~ # udevtest block /dev/sr0
main: looking at device '/block' from subsystem '/dev/sr0'
main: opened class_dev->name='block'
main: only char and block devices with a dev-file are supported by this test program
duffman:~ # udevtest sr0
main: Usage: udevtest <devpath> <subsystem>
duffman:~ # udevtest dev sr0
main: looking at device '/dev' from subsystem 'sr0'
main: sysfs_open_class_device_path failed
duffman:~ # udevtest /dev sr0
main: looking at device '/dev' from subsystem 'sr0'
main: sysfs_open_class_device_path failed

Ick, this is 10.0, which can probably not be fixed anymore. Try if:
  udevtest /block/sr0 block
works.

Surely, it cannot be fixed for 10.0 any more, I just want to help you making a better distro in the future :)
I do not use this bugzilla as a support tool, it already worked for me.

However, udevtest works:
main: looking at device '/block/sr0' from subsystem 'block'
main: opened class_dev->name='sr0'
run_program: '/sbin/usb_id -x'
run_program: '/sbin/usb_id' returned with status 1
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id -g -x -s /block/sr0'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' returned with status 1
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id -g -x -a -s /block/sr0'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_VENDOR=TSSTcorp'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_MODEL=CDRWDVD_TSL462C'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_REVISION=DE01'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_SERIAL='
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_TYPE=cd'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' (stdout) 'ID_BUS=scsi'
run_program: '/sbin/scsi_id' returned with status 0
run_program: '/sbin/path_id /block/sr0'
run_program: '/sbin/path_id' (stdout) 'ID_PATH=pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0'
run_program: '/sbin/path_id' returned with status 0
udev_rules_get_name: add symlink 'disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0'
udev_rules_get_name: add symlink 'cdrom'
udev_rules_get_name: no node name set, will use kernel name 'sr0'
create_node: creating device node '/dev/sr0', major = '11', minor = '0', mode = '0640', uid = '0', gid = '6'
create_node: creating symlink '/dev/disk/by-path/pci-0000:00:1f.2-scsi-1:0:0:0' to '../../sr0'
create_node: creating symlink '/dev/cdrom' to 'sr0'
duffman:~ #                          

That should be fine with the current release. Thanks for your help.