chmod +w doesn't work on a VFAT partition

[Jokke]

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I have installed Fedora C3. To be able to transfer files to and from WinXP I added a VFAT partition. On this partiion only root can write, all can read and execute (rwxr-xr-x). I try the chmod +w or chmod 777 as root, I get no error message, but the permissions doesn't change!.
mount command gives (rw) for this partition.
From windows I can write.

Why?

[lakerdonald]

What does your /etc/fstab look like?

[sdousley]

/dev/hda2               /mnt/win/d      vfat    umask=0222,dmask=0000,uid=0002,gid=users,users  0 0

try that as your fstab entry (but change hda2 to the relevant device, and /mnt/win/d to the relevant mount point.

[lakerdonald]

And you won't have to worry about appending "rw" because the dmask section takes care of that

[Jokke]

Thanks for good advice.
Now I have gained some tiny experience from mounting FAT and windows network partitions.
One problem with theese is that owner of all files is the same as set in fstab. Therefore, with only one user normally, the uid can be set to that user's name.

To mount a network device I use:
//<Server network name>/<Directory> <mounting point> smbfs _netdev,rw,username=<network user name>,password=<passw>,uid=<Linux user name>,fmask=777,dmask=777 0 0

This works for some cases, others not. One difference between the ones that work and the ones that don't is that the none working are accessed via a VPN tunnel to another place, the working are directly accessible via local ethernet.

Anyone have any ideas on that?

[sdousley]

One problem with theese is that owner of all files is the same as set in fstab. Therefore, with only one user normally, the uid can be set to that user's name.

you can change this user to whatever user you want, just by changing the

uid=0002

to the userid you want. Not sure how you will find out the userid, but normally the 'normal' users start at 1000 i think.

{quote]
To mount a network device I use:
//<Server network name>/<Directory> <mounting point> smbfs _netdev,rw,username=<network user name>,password=<passw>,uid=<Linux user name>,fmask=777,dmask=777 0 0[/quote]

not too sure u need the leading // as that will be implied by the smbfs filesystem type. for my nfs shares i just have:

<server name>&#58;<share on server>

for the device to mount