Are files in Ubuntu installed with Wubi readable by Fedora?
 

Hello,

I am learning my way thru Linux, and have Ubuntu Hardy installed using Wubi under Win XP. Also have Fedora 9 installed on a separate hard drive.

Just learnt how to access the Fedora files from Ubuntu by installing LVM.

Is there a way to read the files stored under Ubuntu by Fedora? From Windows XP / Fedora the Ubuntu system under Wubi is just one big file (unreadable) in a NTFS partion.

All my data is stored on separate NTFS partions on two hard drives, accessible by all three OS.

I am trying to understand limitations of installing Ubuntu with Wubi.


murthy

Consider using a samba share in ubuntu?

Assuming all three OSs are running on one machine (and not at the same time), a samba share will do you no good.

LVMs (standard in Fedora installs) are great until something breaks, then they are a royal PITA. Almost everyone who has had one fail (that did not absolutely need one) will not use one again. With the exception of contiguous space all the advantages of a LVM can be easily be done without using it. In short, when LVM blows, hang on to your shorts.

As far as the WUBI problem; that is probably better answered over on the Ubuntu forum (its their baby).

WUBI would have put all its data onto a single file on the disk. You need two steps to read out that file:

1. mount the NTFS partition - once you do this then you can find that wubi file somewhere in the mounted directory

2. mount the wubi file using the filesystem loop device:
mount /mnt/ntfs/mywubifile /mnt/wubifs -o loop
This mounts the file /mnt/ntfs/mywubifile onto the mount point /mnt/wubifs
If you do not use 'autofs' you will need to specify the filesystem to mount via the '-t' flag - for example - mount -t ext3

You can do all this as 'root'; if a normal user needs regular access then you should set up fstab entries.

pinniped, thanks!!

Your suggestion worked beautifully!! Except had to change 'loopsudo' to 'loop' as follows:

# mount -t ext3 /media/Ubuntu/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /mnt/wubifiles -o loopsudo
mount: /media/Ubuntu/ubuntu/disks/root.disk is not a block device (maybe try `-o loop'?)
# mount -t ext3 /media/Ubuntu/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /mnt/wubifiles -o loop
#

Not certain I understood the cautions described in man mount for using autofs, so decided to go via '-t' flag.

Again, thanks for your help.

murthy

mazin marji
 

Thanks that was really helpful, I had external hard disk, it was originally having windows installation and ubuntu installed with wubi. And I needed to reach ubuntu partiotion


So to reach ubuntu files on external disk, I used the commands you mentioned with modification as the ubuntu partition is ext4

$sudo mkdir /mnt/wubifiles
$sudo mount -t ext4 /media/~/ubuntu/disks/root.disk /mnt/wubifiles -o loop


And it was OK. Thanks