Last night I successfully installed Fedora Yarrow i386 Core 1 onto my family computer. Its quite exciting, I can now use a computer for the first time in 12 years without Bill Gates looking over my shoulder!

My question, is probably a matter of familiarisation, revolves around being able to access other partitions or discs. It could be a matter of level of access I have permitted myself - how do I correct that?

I wished to use partitions as follows:

hda1: Windows XP (6Gb - FAT32)
hda2: data space for both systems (25Gb - FAT32)
hda3: Linux (6Gb - ext3)
hda4: MBR etc (300Mb - doesn't matter - it works!)

windows can access hda1 & 2 (both FAT32), but Linux can only access iteself (ext3) so far.

I could re format 2 if necessary, but I chose that format as I believed it was accessible to Linux?

I ask the forum rather than pouring over the online manuals as my internet acccess is from the office ( where I read and access the net) while my pc is at home....

Many thanks

I think that problem is in kernel, but not necessary. It looks like your linux doesn't have support for FAT32 file system.

Maybe, but I can't access the floppy or CD-Rom as a user either, so I think its a little more basic than that (I hope!)

If it is a default Fedora install, FAT support should be available

as root

mkdir /mnt/c

#mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/c

and let us know how it goes.

Perhaps a silly question.. are you sure youw WindowsXP partitions are FAT32 and not NTFS.

you can download and install the appropriate rpms from

linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net

and use "-t ntfs" instead of "vfat" in case your partition(s) are NTFS.

Do you mean I needn't have reformatted each and every partition as FAT32!? - Oh well, ho hum!

ppuru,
you seem to me to have a habit of using text instead of GUI methods - I'm still learning - fast!
I presume there is an equivalent to Windows' "Run..." in the GUI? or do I need to learn other new tricks too?

I am very impressed with this form of help - you guys have been excellent

ppuru,
I thank you, I have now found gedit, and your comments on my other thread worked a treat, especially with the titles suggested by others!

the directory you mentioned - /mnt/c is empty - when logged in as root.
"as root

mkdir /mnt/c

#mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/c

and let us know how it goes."

what is mkdir ?(in DOS that used to be make a new directory)
# means comment doesn't it? where do I put that line? when typed in at the terminal, i got the response that I couldn't mount an existing drive, with a series of parameters. am I missing something?

STOP PRESS - got it workin, but, then ...

mount -t vfat /dev/hda2 /mnt/c
and
mount -t vfat /dev/hda2 /home/ian

appears to have prevented me logging in. How do I dismount it?

questions, questions,

To un-mount a partition, for example, type:The /etc/fstab file contains information concerning pre-defined partition setup (including cd-rom and floppy).
If you still can't acces your cd-rom or floppy, the problem may be with this file.
Post the contents for more help.

Yes there is.
Log-in as a normal user. Open a Console window (also know as a terminal window... it looks like a DOS window).
This is the command line.

At the command line, if you want to run some commands or programs as root, type the following:To log-out, you can type exit or press Ctrl+D.

merci Mathieu,
I'm getting there! I've found Terminal - I now understand the # (not a command, just a prompt) and ppuru, and the mount disappeared on shut down. At this stage, I'm just so paranoid, I don't want to break anything!

Many Thanks to ppuru, I've found my floppy, my CD and other hard disk partitions - excellent. Now to put 'shortcuts' into the desk top, and mount .... in the login script wherever that is. That should be totally up and running then.

If only I could...


I'm getting there, with a little help from my friends!

When you issue a mount command, the device (/dev/hda2) is mounted on the mount point that you specify (/home/ian). So, the original contents on /home/ian will not be available till you unmount the device.

Makes sense! - it all fits.

Is there an equivalent to shortcuts?
Can I permantly mount to /mnt/c?
Ideally, I'd then assign permissions to each part of that data disc (hda2)

I'm new but I believe /etc/fstab is where perminant mounts are.

BattousaiX,

Again, that's what Mathieu said, now the mud is becoming clearer! I'm beginning to understand what people are talking about - and its working.

How do you make windows style shortcuts/links to subdirectories, anybody?
'make links' always gives me an error message

making a windows stylled shortcut:
ln -s originalfile newfile

the ln -s makes a soft link from the originalfile to the newfile.
if you remove the originalfile the newfile becomes useless.

Under GNU/Linux you can create a so called hard link by not typeing ln -s but just ln.

A hard link differ from a soft link by only allowing links on the same partion.
The advantegs is that if the original file is removed, the new file works just the same.
no that if you overwrite the new (or old) file, both files will have there contains althered.

To automount hda2 -- your data space for both systems (25Gb - FAT32),
you will have to edit the fstab file located in the /etc directory (/etc/fstab).

Add the following line:You may or may not already have an entry for /dev/hda2, check first.

For your windowsXP partition, if it is NTFS, you can mount it in Read-only mode, but if it is a FAT32, you can mount it in Read/Write mode.