[SOLVED] Editing fstab to allow RW access for all users to a NTFS partition

[Wakou]

Arrrrggjhhhh!

Sometimes Linux just make you want to throw the PC out of the window, and get a
new one with WINDOWS on it!!!


Here is the relevant part of my fstab (I think!):

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L60LCJ0G-part1 /windows/D           ntfs-3g    users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_GB.UTF-8 0 0

1. Why is this labelled "D", when it is "C"
2. fmask=133
3. dmask=022
4. user,gid=users

Having only just "got" the idea that there are a nunber of ways of issuing chmod, I now find that there is yet another when in the fstab file. It is an easygoogle to find out a workaround to make this drive RW, but doing that way one does not learn what is actually happening.
how do I find out UID and GID?
fmask and dmask, how do I find out what the current settings mean, and what they should be to allow RW access for various groups/users or for everyone?

[devils casper]

Set umask=0 and remove UID and GID. umask=0 will allow read/write access to all users.

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L60LCJ0G-part1 /windows/D           ntfs-3g   defaults,umask=0  0 0

# Why is this labelled "D", when it is "C"

Its just a mount point (folder) and you can create/use new mount point anytime.

su -
mkdir /windows/C

Replace D with C in /etc/fstab file.

[Wakou]

Thank-you Casper, for your quick reply to my ill-tempered enqiry this morning.

I should perhaps have included the rest of the fstab, I have already a partition which mounts itself at /windows/C, this is an unused FAT32 put there when I was trying to install:

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3120022A_5JT3CL13-part5 swap                 swap       defaults              0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3120022A_5JT3CL13-part6 /                    ext3       acl,user_xattr        1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3120022A_5JT3CL13-part7 /home                ext3       acl,user_xattr        1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3120022A_5JT3CL13-part2 /windows/C           vfat       users,gid=users,umask=0002,utf8=true 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L60LCJ0G-part1 /windows/D           ntfs-3g    users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_GB.UTF-8 0 0
proc                 /proc                proc       defaults              0 0
sysfs                /sys                 sysfs      noauto                0 0
debugfs              /sys/kernel/debug    debugfs    noauto                0 0
usbfs                /proc/bus/usb        usbfs      noauto                0 0
devpts               /dev/pts             devpts     mode=0620,gid=5       0 0

If I just delete this partition, would fstab auto-update on next boot? If so I could then, I suppose, edit the fstab manually as you suggest above, so that my Windows mounts itself as C, or even, I guess it might do it automagically as it would then be the the first windows partition?

[devils casper]

As I mentioned earlier, you can use any mount point any time. Mount points are not hard code.
Just swap /windows/c and /windows/d in /etc/fstab file. NTFS partition will be mounted at /windows/C and Fat32 at /winodws/D on next reboot.

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST3120022A_5JT3CL13-part2 /windows/D   vfat  defaults,umask=0  0  0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Maxtor_7L300S0_L60LCJ0G-part1 /windows/C  ntfs-3g defaults,umask=0  0  0

If I just delete this partition, would fstab auto-update on next boot?

No. You have to edit /etc/fstab file manually. First of all, swap /windows/C and /windows/D.
If you are planing to remove FAT32 partition, put # sign before its mount line in /etc/fstab file.

[Wakou]

Ok, thanks again. One more thing....
Also in /etc/ is a file named fstab-ntfs-config-save, its content is exactly the same as /etc/fstab
Which should I modify? Or both?

[devils casper]

Modify /etc/fstab file only.
Other file is used by ntfs-config tool only. As we are editing main file, /etc/fstab manually, there is no need to edit other file.

[Wakou]

Thank-you sir! I have followed your instructions, and done a bit more research on fmask dmask umask etc, I feel that I have learnt a good deal today! My Windows drive is now rw but not x, and is mounted at /Windows/C

Prepare for more silly noob questions in the days to come...........

[devils casper]

Glad to help you !

Prepare for more silly noob questions in the days to come...........

haha... I was a newbie once. Just post questions and we will try our best you guide you.