When I try to read a file created in windows wordpad in ubuntu, no can do. I try to read it with gedit and I am told I don't have permission. What? Why so many hoops to jump through for such simple things? I might be having a problem because I am using a live usb (with persistence) to effect this daunting and apparently Herculean labor.

rtf stands for what?
rich text format, that holds invisible coding so that windows type text reader can read it. try writing them or at least saving them in a flat file, txt. or look around for something Linux that reads "rich text format" files.

if I remember right, even wordpad in windows will not read it properly. it does flat files. because Windows has/had two text editors I don't remember which is which, one is flat file, the other is rtf. might have been notepad, wordpad.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Text_Format

I hear your frustration, but more information is needed for anyone to help you with this issue.

Exactly what steps did you follow to try to load this file into Gedit?

Where is the file located, in user's /home directory or on the host computer?

What is the output of

As an aside, as an *.rtf file is a formatted word processor file, making sense of the file in Gedit, which is a text editor, is likely to be challenging, as Gedit will display all the formatting marks and codes. You would likely have better luck in LibreOffice, but I can't say for sure, as I haven't dealt with an *.rtf file in 15 years.

Note, too, that Windows and Linux permissions work quite differently. https://www.linux.com/learn/understa...le-permissions

If you have not done so, you may want to read this: https://www.linuxquestions.org/linux...Ask_a_Question

Open it with libreoffice writer. Gedit is a text editor.

RTF documents can be opened with abiword, libreoffice and the like.
if your system defaults to gedit, you need to tell your filemanager it's wrong.
on my system, i right-click on the file in question, go to "Properties" and choose "Open with" (dropdown menu).