Mounting Windows drives in Linux

Discussion in 'other software & services' started by djg05, Feb 3, 2007.

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  1. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    With the mention of various Linux versions here I thought I would take another look at it. I tried Suse 7.2 some years ago but never took to it.

    I am trying out Ubuntu and LinuxMint. Cannot really see much difference with the latter - I know it is based on Ubuntu.

    The problem I really have is displaying the Windows drives. I know you have to use Samba and have installed that but that does not seem to lead me anywhere. I have looked up in the Ubuntu forum and that points to terminal commands. I left DOS many years ago and don't want to have to resort to that again although I appreciate it might be quicker for the experienced. Surely Linux has moved on enough to have a graphical interface for this now.

    Can anyone help with this please.
     
  2. Lamehand

    Lamehand Registered Member

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    http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Dapper

    I asume that you are using Dapper?, this is a guide to it and mentioned there in is how to mount NTFS-drives, amongst other things.Maybe it will help.

    regards
    Lamehand
     
  3. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks

    I am using Edgy but is probably similar. However they all come down to command line. Surely there must be a graphical way of doing it. I know that will annoy the hell out of the purists but I want the simple life.
     
  4. Lamehand

    Lamehand Registered Member

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    I'll have to disappoint you for now, because there is no graphical way to mount a drive or partition yet.
    Some use of the terminal is unavoidable, and mounting is one of those things you will have to use it.

    Lamehand
     
  5. Alphalutra1

    Alphalutra1 Registered Member

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    I don't think samba will help you since it is for allowing networked windows computers to share files with linux across a network, not on the same machine ;)

    But, you really should learn the command line, it is pretty simple and so much quicker once you get the hang of it. If you want to mount the drive with read and write ability (so you can change files), then you are going to have to look into ntfs-3g.

    Here is the instructions for ubuntu (yes it involves command line, but if you look at how many pages the post has (130), thousands of people have used it including total linux newbies, so they are pretty straightforward)

    Good luck

    Alphalutra1
     
  6. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks Both

    I take your points. Just seems a step backwards to me. Since UB auto mounts optical and removeable storage it would seem logical to make it as easy to access data from the Win drives. Anyway, I will go back into it and have another look.

    Incidentally, is there any real difference between UB Edgy and LinuxMint?
     
  7. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    I have read some of the messages there but nothing makes any sense. No matter what I do I just get

    Any command is the same. This is always the frustration with command line interfaces - fine when it goes right but when it doesn't you are out in the desert.
     
  8. Lamehand

    Lamehand Registered Member

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    I see that LinuxMint is based on Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE desktop environment)
    So i don't think there is a lot of difference between this and Edgy Eft.

    By the way you can edit fstab directly by using, for instance, gedit.
    First change the directory to etc and then put in 'sudo gedit fstab',you'll be able to change the content and save it as well.

    Edgy Eft is not the most stable version at the moment, if you need a stable environment it maybe better to use Dapper Drake (6.06 LTS,LTS stands for 'long time support'). Edgy can be thickle for one person it works like a charm and there are others who have trouble with it.

    Lamehand
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2007
  9. Alphalutra1

    Alphalutra1 Registered Member

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    This actually isn't a problem with the command line or your copying skills, but your sudoers file is f#$%^% up.

    You will have to boot into single user mode, then type visudo. I think you will have to delete the first 9 lines, then reboot and you will be good to go.

    --edit---
    If that doesn't make much sense, peruse through this website.

    Cheers,

    Alphalutra1
     
  10. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    Hmm, this must be a distro thing o_O

    PClinuxOS auto mounts my Windows drives, I click Storage Media icon and rumage through all my files on XP. :cool:

    I'll install Kubuntu and see what happens
     
  11. Ice_Czar

    Ice_Czar Registered Member

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    what Id really like to do is find or make a Linux version of MenuApp that would work on NTFS drives in Linux

    (Ive gotten addicted to navigating with that ap, its all just a series of shortcuts in your data, so you have total relational control for any given context)

    any pointers? clues?
    or even the basics, shortcuts in Linux forget the NTFS part
     
  12. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

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    Hello,

    To mount local drivers, you do not need samba.
    To mount network drives, you might wish to use samba as it is simple.

    To see all your partitions:

    sudo fdisk -l

    Let's say you wish to mount windows drive e, which is your third partition and you call it music in windows.

    sudo mkdir /media/music

    sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.backup

    Inside the file, add the following lines:

    /dev/hdXY /media/music ntfs -o nls=utf8,umask=0222 0 0
    /dev/hdXY /media/music vfat iocharset=utf8,umask=000 0 0

    If you wish to have NTFS as writable:

    First install ntfs-3g:

    sudo apt-get install ntfs-3g

    /dev/hdXY /media/music ntfs-3g defaults,locale=utf8 0 0

    Change locale to suit your needs! Beware that if you have files and folders with special non-English letters, you will need the local charset or utf to display them correctly.

    hdXY represents your drive - X numbering for physical hard drive, from a up, Y numbering of partitions for that drive, from 1 up.

    Usually, the lettering will be:

    hdx1 - first partition
    hdx2 - extended partition
    hdx5 - second partition
    hdx6 - third partition

    And so forth

    So you need to mount hda6.

    Reboot or sudo mount -a for changes to take effect.

    Mrk
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2007
  13. iceni60

    iceni60 ( ^o^)

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    it looks alot like fluxbox and/or blackbox to me
    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3208525130556144653&q=fluxbox

    here's a screenshot of the menu (just right-click on a blank part of the desktop to open it). the fluxbox menu is made to be editted, so you can put whatever you want in it.
    http://roumenpetrov.info/articles/sw-10.1/fluxbox-bg_BG-antialiasing.png

    EDIT if you download a distro that uses KDE that doesn't mean you are stuck with it, you can install gnome, fluxbox, xfce etc any time you like, fluxbox takes about 3 seconds to download lol

    all you do to change desktop is logout then back in again. you select which desktop to use (gnome, fluxbox etc) when you log in.
     
  14. Ice_Czar

    Ice_Czar Registered Member

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    just the ticket ;)
    thank you
     
  15. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks

    Managed to do that and get it working, but as to mounting the drives I just don't follow it. I get more and more angry and frustrated at the commands that lead me nowhere - I guess Linux is just not for me. Thanks All for the help though.
     
  16. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

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    Hello,
    Don't give up. Give it a bit of time. You did not master Windows in 3 days or even 3 weeks!
    Try my commands, see how you fare (a few posts above).
    I'll help you through if you need.
    Mrk
     
  17. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    Wait ! don't give up

    Also I don't know what version of LinuxMint you have but 2.2 "Bianca" beta 014 should work.

     
  18. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks Mrk

    I must say that going from DOS to Win 3x was so easy.

    Appreciate yours and FastGame's encouragement - although I was having a moan you did not rise to it, which was not the intention.

    I thought about posting in the Ubuntu forum because you get more purists there and react differently. However I did and got the expected reaction, but another pointed me to another link which led to an auto scrip[/URL ]t and that made life so simple and auto loads all my drives/partitions on the desktop. Bit of a cheat not following your directions.

    It also says on that page that this set to be built into Ubuntu.

    Thanks for your encouragement.
     
  19. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thankf FastGame

    I actually have Ubuntu Edgy installed. I did try LinuxMint Bea as Bianca was still in beta and thought it not a good idea. I did not see the bit about auto loading win drives as I might have tried it. As you can see above, I have managed to find a way of loading the drives.
     
  20. FastGame

    FastGame Registered Member

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    Hi djg05, its good to see you stuck with it and got things sorted.

    Even though LinuxMint Bianca is beta its just Bea with the added extras, it works fine. You can update Bianca beta to the final version when it comes out on 2-20-07 through your package manager. I guess you can update Bea to Bianca the same way.

    Good luck :)
     
  21. iceni60

    iceni60 ( ^o^)

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  22. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Thanks Iceni60

    As you may have seen in my later posting I found a script that did it all automatically and that covers FAT and NTFS. Apprecaite your links.
     
  23. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    Inspired by the success of enabling the Win drives I have worked my way to installing NVIDIA drivers since the default screen resolution was the wrong size.

    Since it is becoming usable I am now not sure what if anything I should install on the security side. I am behind a f/w Router. Is that sufficient or do I need anything else?
     
  24. Genady Prishnikov

    Genady Prishnikov Registered Member

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    I fell for the Ubuntu is "best for Linux beginners." I was very frustrated, as many seem to be coming from a PC. Simply, Ubuntu is nowhere close to actually being the easiest from the get-go. If you want one that most simulates Windows, but in a safe Linux environment, try PCLinuxOS:
    http://www.pclinuxos.com/news.php
    It auto-mounts your drives, detects most all printers, networks, audio/video, etc. I never bothered with Ubuntu again. Ubuntu gets the hype because it has a billionaire benefactor behind it that hired hundreds to storm forums and has paid advertising. But the "easiest" Linux? No way - it's all hype. BTW, I know there are many happy Ubuntu users and that's great! Once you get the hang of it, it's a super Linux distro.
     
  25. djg05

    djg05 Registered Member

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    That is interesting about Ubuntu. I did look into PCLinux but currently it is withdrawn as there are problems with the RC. Don't think it has reached ver 1 yet, but will keep watching for when it becomes available. Certainly Linux does need to make itself more friendly for those crossing over.
     
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