On Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:26:37 +0100 Ian Malone <ibmalone@xxxxxxxxx> wrote: > Charles Sullivan wrote: > > How can I mount a USB external drive (SimpleTech 320 GB) as a normal > > user? > > > > If as a normal user I run 'mount /[mount_point]', there's no error message > > but the device is not mounted. As root the same command mounts the > > device and I am thereafter able to read and write to it as a normal user. > > > > Here's what I've got. What else do I need to do? > > > > Try the ntfs-config package. This will give you an 'NTFS configuration > tool' (in applications|system tools in FC6), which should make setting > this up easier. There is one possible problem with your fstab, but I'm > not convinced that's what's wrong. A further reading of the documentation indicates that a later version of ntfs-3g is required. > > $ ls -l /bin/ntfs-3g > > -rwsrwxrwx 1 root root 39052 Nov 8 13:59 /bin/ntfs-3g > > > > I'd note that here, and below, this file should not be world writeable > (the only things in /bin that should be are links). True, but in desperation I opened up almost everything. > > In /etc/fstab: > > /dev/sda1 /simple ntfs-3g noauto,users,rw,umask=0 0 0 > > > > I can't see anything obviously wrong with these options. Except that > there's no uid specified. The following is what I've got: > /dev/sda1 /media/FreeAgent ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_GB.UTF-8 0 0 > > I've had a go at setting the users option and see the same behaviour as > you on FC6 (silent failure to mount). I don't know if this is fixed in > later versions. > > > $ ls -dl /simple > > drwxrwxrwx 2 root root 4096 Apr 1 23:18 /simple > > > > Is this what it looks like with the device mounted or without? The > mount point directory does not actually need these permissions, as they > are over-ridden by the mounted filesystem. Either mounted or unmounted, for the same reason as above. > > $ ls -l /dev/sd* > > brw-rw-rw- 1 root disk 8, 0 Apr 1 23:58 /dev/sda > > brw-rw-rw- 1 cwsulliv disk 8, 1 Apr 2 00:10 /dev/sda1 > > > > Again, these are too permissive, should be 'brw-r-----', have you > changed them? Yes, and again for the same reason. I've noticed one other unusual thing. After mounting as root the drive icon appears on the desktop as expected. If (as ordinary user) I right-click on the icon and select "Unmount volume", I get an error box saying the device is not mounted. But 'mount' shows that it is and I can view the contents (including files that were on the drive as purchased). Running 'umount /simple' at the ordinary user command prompt succeeds in unmounting - the icon disappears and /simple becomes a empty directory. I think I'll just mark this version of ntfs-3g as "immature software" and either live with it until I upgrade or else reformat to ext2 and be done with it. Thanks for your response. Regards, Charles Sullivan -- Charles Sullivan <cwsulliv@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
