Hi Linux-community...

My current problem involves my dual-boot IBM ThinkPad T23 with WinXP and Linux.

I can properly access a 'transfer'-vfat-partition from Linux, but when I try to access files created under Linux from WinXP I have this problem:
1) I don't see these files!
2) After I use WinXP-tools to analyze and defragment this partitiion I can see the files, but with the 'lost'-files naming convention from WinXP. After renaming to the appropriate file-type, the files are OK.
3) I can read and access all Linux- and WinXP-written files under Linux (but not vice versa - see above)

I am currently running:
uname -a
Linux linux 2.4.21-144-default #1 Fri Nov 14 00:01:36 UTC 2003 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux

My /etc/fstab looks like this:
/dev/hda6 /windowsf vfat iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=437,defaults,umask=0000 0 0


Has anyone ever experienced anything alike?

Thanks for your effort and replies...

Agi

2 things I could think of

1) permissions for the folder you mount on
2) the codepage... are you using some different language windows XP maybe ?
you might want to try codepage=850 and see if there's a difference.

To be honest I don't know too much about charsets and codepages, maybe someone else might want to comment on this ?

cheers
newbee

I could be wrong, but isn't WinXP NTFS and not VFAT..?

I'm not using a dual-boot.. I have only Mandrake 9.2 on (this laptop) and networked to a WinXPHE laptop via 802.11a wireless card. I don't have a prob with files using Samba..

Try:
/dev/hda6 /windowsf ntfs noauto 0 0

(I'm not sure why the /windowsf has an "f" in it.. was that a typo..?)

Anyway, good luck

Hi there,

thanks for your quick response...

As for my comments/answers/new questions:

Ryeman:
1) I could be wrong, but isn't WinXP NTFS and not VFAT..?
--> You're right, but this transfer partition is Fat32, i.e. to my knowledge it should be vfat under Linux...
2) I'm not sure why the /windowsf has an "f" in it.. was that a typo..?
--> No, that transfer partition is "F;" under Windows, thus the mountpoint I chose was /windowsf

Bareege:
1) permissions for the folder you mount on
--> don't you think, that linux would give me a nice 'permission denied' error once I try to write onto these? I think I did confirm that permissions are rwx for veryone, but I'm going to double-check anyway...
2) the codepage... are you using some different language windows XP maybe ?
you might want to try codepage=850 and see if there's a difference.
--> It's always difficult to tell, what language you are exactly using, since every other package/utility comes with its own language pack... It is either English or German,anything else seems highly unlikely... What 'language' is codepage 850? Do you think this'll fit with my WinXP-languages? Anyway, I'm trying to do some more research on this one...

Again, thanks for your effort, answers and your ideas so far...

Agi

Hi Linux-Community,

for whoever is interested in the results of my investigations:
It looks like the problem I have experienced is (as almost always) due to a wrong procedure.
I have extensively used the Windows-XP hibernation mode to speed up the boot process of my laptop. However, Windows seems to cache some or even a lot of data abou the current status of the drive.
Thus, when
1) hibernating Windows XP
2) booting into Linux, writing to any shared drive, shutting down linux
3) waking up WinXP (what's the opposite of hibernation)
the cached data is of course wrong.
The only way to refresh the cache I have found so far is to scan the drive for errors - or of course reboot the system...

One last Question: If anyone knows the Windows analogon to 'sync' and possibly sth to refresh what you see on the drive, It would be helpful...
Agi

Are you using lilo for a boot loader? If you want to 'hibernate' XP and be able to run linux, try using a linux boot disk instead of a boot loader. That may resolve your problem? Windows is not very friendly with multi OS's.. You may have to do a traditional windows shut down if the above doesn't work and have your laptop use standby instead of hibernate to save power.

My t23 has a nice dual-boot /Ibm-XP & slack 9.1/ and everything works properly.
Hope all below can help .....


1. fstab:

/dev/hda1 /mnt/xp ntfs ro,umask=666 0 0
/dev/hda3 swap swap defaults 0 0
/dev/hda2 / ext3 defaults 1 1
/dev/hda4 /fat-d vfat defaults 1 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,ro 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 /mnt/cam vfat noauto,owner 0 0

2. lilo.conf:

# LILO configuration file
# generated by 'liloconfig'
#
# Start LILO global section
boot = /dev/hda2
prompt
timeout = 50
# VESA framebuffer console @ 1024x768x64k
vga = 791

# End LILO global section
# Linux bootable partition config begins
image = /boot/vmlinuz
root = /dev/hda2
label = Linux
read-only # Non-UMSDOS filesystems should be mounted read-only for checking
# Linux bootable partition config ends
# DOS bootable partition config begins
other = /dev/hda1
label = XP
table = /dev/hda
# DOS bootable partition config ends


Regards,
brodo

Hi community,

thanks for your replies...

Rye:
I'm using GRUB - but I'll give the boot disk solution a try... In the meantime I'm trying to get some statistical data whether my findings are correct... Rebooting can be so cumbersome... ;o)

Brodo:
I'm also running a dual-boot T23. And I'd also say: Everything works fine... Except for the hibernation/disk cache issue described above/below...
Therefore my question: Do you also hibernate WinXP, run linux and write to your shared disks, and then access this disk under WinXP?
Thanks for your time...

Agi

I use my XP rarely and I did not hibernate it yet.
If I spoil something while hibernating ...? :-((

Do You use an IBM-for-T23 version of XP like I do ???
This version is trimmed especially for Thinkpads.
You can get install disks from IBM for almost free.

Regards,
brodo

Hi brodo,

thanks for your reply...

I'd say yes, I do use a specialised version of XP for IBM, but how can one be 100% sure?
This partition is mostly maintained by my Sys-Ad... ;o)
ONE of the reasons to use Linux whenever possible!

One final statement about hibernation:
1) It works really fine (otherwise)
2) it 'boots' XP so much faster... ;o)
3) To reduce the risk I have mounted my important XP-data read-only
4) I have created a transfer fat32-partition, where only temp-data will be stored...
If this partition shows problems I simply reformat... ;o)

Maybe try to set your "transfer partition" just like mine -
from my fstab it is:

/dev/hda4 /fat-d vfat defaults 1 0

so try to use vfat filesystem;

My windows partition is:

/dev/hda1 /mnt/xp ntfs ro,umask=666 0 0

Otherwise it is a good idea to work under linux if it`s possible.
Some programs, unfortunately, work only in Windows - my example is Circuitmaker CAD that I use. There are no good ones for linux as far as I know ...

Regards,
Brodo