Help - I can't mount USB hard drive

[amador]

A friend just installed Debian sarge with kernel 2.6 in it. I am a Linux newbie.

I am trying to mount a Lacie USB drive - VFAT file system. I try to mount with
$ mount -t vfat /dev/sda /media/usb0
But I get error message:
"wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda, or too many mounted file systems"

This drive appears in the device list in fstab, but the file type is "auto" instead of "vfat". I don't know how to edit fstab, or if I should edit it at all to solve this problem. Any help, before I do something stupid? Linux newbie pages that I have visited haven't been helpful.

[retired1af]

Try the command with auto instead of vfat and see if that works.

[Cabhan]

"auto" means the fs type will be automatically determined. It's easier to use that way.

And I think I see the problem... try /dev/sda1, not /dev/sda.

Either way, since it's in your fstab, you only have to type "mount /media/usb0", and it will all happen. Your fstab line should look like:

/dev/sda /media/usb0 auto noauto,rw,users 0 0

Or, if /dev/sda1 works, obviously use that.

[mfaridi]

A friend just installed Debian sarge with kernel 2.6 in it. I am a Linux newbie.

I am trying to mount a Lacie USB drive - VFAT file system. I try to mount with
$ mount -t vfat /dev/sda /media/usb0
But I get error message:
"wrong fs type, bad option, bad superblock on /dev/sda, or too many mounted file systems"

This drive appears in the device list in fstab, but the file type is "auto" instead of "vfat". I don't know how to edit fstab, or if I should edit it at all to solve this problem. Any help, before I do something stupid? Linux newbie pages that I have visited haven't been helpful.

it is better you change your FSTAB files if you change it maybe it solve
how you install your linux
maybe some component not install
try install another componet