mount usb hdd, no access rights as normal user

[Fabur]

Hey everyone,

I have got a small problem trying to mount an usb hdd.
I can mount it as a root user and can access it.
I can mount it as a normal user (edited my /etc/fstab) but I can't access the folder.
The folder was created as root but I used chmod 777.
Creating the folder as a normal user won't help either.

Each time I mount the device (normal user or root), my system will remove all my rights as a normal users and only root is allowed to access that folder.
When I umount it, I get them back.

I added the following line to my /etc/fstab file:

Code: Select all

/dev/sda1 /media/usbhdd ntfs noauto,user,ro 0 0

And I use the following command to mount it:

Code: Select all

mount /dev/sda1

When I use mount to list my mounted systems I get:

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/dev/sda1 on /media/usbhdd type ntfs (ro,noexec,nosuid,nodev,user=Marcus)

An usb stick that I also use is working fine.

I tried some google search, but I only found the fstab stuff above and the search on the ydl forum won't accept usb or device as a search term.

I hope that someone can help me.

Thanks,

Marcus


ps: I am using fluxbox


[edit]
I just tried Enlightenment.
It automounts the hdd, but also tells me that I do not have access rights to the device.
[/edit]

[aguilarojo]

Hey everyone,

I have got a small problem trying to mount an usb hdd.
...

I added the following line to my /etc/fstab file:

Code: Select all

/dev/sda1 /media/usbhdd ntfs noauto,user,ro 0 0

And I use the following command to mount it:

Code: Select all

mount /dev/sda1

When I use mount to list my mounted systems I get:

Code: Select all

/dev/sda1 on /media/usbhdd type ntfs (ro,noexec,nosuid,nodev,user=Marcus)

...

Hi Marcus:

I believe that YDL 6.2 doesn't need to have fstab modified as you described. Making modifications as you've done to fstab used to be necessary within YDL 3/4. Did you realize that the statement you entered into fstab identifies your usb device as ntfs and read only??
Under those requirements, which you defined, I don't believe you would have anything but trouble with permissions. On top of that you are also trying to use chmod 777 to give read/write access to the same device which you defined, in fstab, to be read only.

Given what you did above it won't matter whether you are in e17, fluxbox, XFCE, or anything else; problems will remain.

If you are going to define a device which an ntfs system and Linux (here YDL) will read/write to, why not define it to be fat32?
You'll have fewer problems, I believe.

All the best...

[ppietro]

To add to this thread a little, I believe that YDL, like a lot of Linuxes, has issues with NTFS partitions. For example, I know that they don't allow write access by default. This was due to issues with the original NTFS driver in Linux.

We generally recommend external drives be formatted for Linux (i.e. ext3) or FAT32, for the most success.

If you must use NTFS, we have described some workarounds for this:
viewtopic.php?p=25996#p25996

A forum search for "NTFS" and "write" should yield some more suggestions.

Cheers,
Paul

[aguilarojo]

To add to this thread a little, I believe that YDL, like a lot of Linuxes, has issues with NTFS partitions. For example, I know that they don't allow write access by default. This was due to issues with the original NTFS driver in Linux.

We generally recommend external drives be formatted for Linux (i.e. ext3) or FAT32, for the most success.

If you must use NTFS, we have described some workarounds for this:
viewtopic.php?p=25996#p25996

A forum search for "NTFS" and "write" should yield some more suggestions.

Cheers,
Paul

Interesting points Paul. I wasn't aware that Linux had problems with NTFS.

Marcus, only you can determine which strategy will save you the most time. It is fairly easy for me to recommend that you reformat the ntfs device so that it becomes instead fat32, which will indeed allow it to be read by either ntfs or Linux or other operating systems. The problem to consider carefully are:

• Data: If any data is on the ntfs device currently, that data has to be removed, copied elsewhere onto an operating system which will have the flexibility to allow you to switch from ntfs permissions to fat32. If the files themselves remain ntfs, even if you change the device itself to be a fat32 device the files - when they are copied back onto to the device with the ntfs fingerprint (meaning that the files were created within ntfs with ntfs permissions) - you may still not be able to open those files within Linux, given what Paul has explained above.
  
  Therefore in your situation, merely backing up the files and copying them back doesn't really solve your problem.
  
  
• Unfortunately, time is always an issue especially on technical matters. The other factor to consider is one's knowledge base, meaning understanding well what one knows and it's limits. If the research you have to invest in learning and applying any method is beyond the time you have available as a result of time based work requirement or task -- you may have to consider paying someone to do this work for you.
  
  The delay of a day or a few hours where you pay a professional engineering company specializing in data transfers can be worth it as it can save you time, especially if you need a quick resolution. Just tell them change the device to fat32 and that they are to insure your files are available within Linux.
  
  
• Of course, if nothing is on the ntfs drive in question then there is no problem. Reformat the drive to fat32 and you are done. Life unfortunately, is rarely that simple.

All the best...