Programs can't read devices, other partitions

[DGeeez]

I've made up my mind to find a local course this fall (if available) to really explain the Linux system organization, which somehow seems a bit more complex than Windows. Anyway, where is it that I need to change the default path so that my programs will see outside their box (my file system) and see also my plugged-in devices, as well as other partitions on my hard drive?

Thanks.

[Rubberman]

If I understand what you wrote, you don't need to change your path environment. User programs have access to all file systems mounted on the system that they have privileges for. A plugged in USB device or hard drive partition is not directly accessible by programs unless their file systems are mounted. A USB drive file system is normally mounted automatically in /media. A hard drive partition is normally mounted by the operating system when the OS boots to the mount point specified in /etc/fstab. If it is not, then only a root user (or regular user with sudo privileges) can mount it after creating a mount point (empty directory) for it.

[DGeeez]

If I understand what you wrote, you don't need to change your path environment. User programs have access to all file systems mounted on the system that they have privileges for. A plugged in USB device or hard drive partition is not directly accessible by programs unless their file systems are mounted. A USB drive file system is normally mounted automatically in /media. A hard drive partition is normally mounted by the operating system when the OS boots to the mount point specified in /etc/fstab. If it is not, then only a root user (or regular user with sudo privileges) can mount it after creating a mount point (empty directory) for it.

Sure they are normally mounted automatically - they are normally mounted automatically in Nautilus, and I think Rhythmbox (which I haven't used much) sees other drives as well, but not so with a lot of the other programs which I've had use for. EasyTag is one example. I do mean that there is no achnowledgement (not ever), at least not in the GUI of other devices or partitions than my Ubuntu system partition, which the program is installed in. I've had this problem in Jaunty, just as I did in Intrepid, and while I have a Windows machine (where no mounting errors ever occur because it doesn't care who has access) when I give up on making it happen in Ubuntu, this can't go on. So, it's clear that I have to do something about this, but what? Is it the OS or the program which determines the mount point? If it's normal for there to be differences of mount point between programs, where and how should I deal with that, and if this all sounds just too plain weird, what then?

[Rubberman]

Other than USB devices which are automounted (normally), only the devices specified in /etc/fstab are mounted when the operating system is booted. Tell us what drives/partitions/file systems you have on your computer, and display the contents of /etc/fstab here. Then, we should be able to better advise you.