How do I change read/write permissions for a whole directory?

Stevetgn · 12-30-2003, 05:35 PM

How do I change read/write permissions for a whole directory?
I want to be able to read AND write to a FAT32 windows drive.

Thanks in advance

Steve

Quadreg · 12-30-2003, 05:49 PM

use chmod with the -R option. If you want everybody to have read en write, use :
chmod -R a+rw /dir

scott_R · 12-30-2003, 05:55 PM

Here's a decent link, hope it helps.

http://electron.mit.edu/~gsteele/linuxfaq/

(under "Only root can write to mounted a DOS drive")

Basically, you need to mount the drive with whatever permissions you want to use, because fat32 doesn't have the ability to set permissions the way other OSs do.

Stevetgn · 12-30-2003, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Quadreg
use chmod with the -R option. If you want everybody to have read en write, use :
chmod -R a+rw /dir

Sorry total newbie. How do I go about using al those commands you just gave me?

Thanks for your newbie patiance!

Steve

michaelk · 12-30-2003, 07:01 PM

chmod will not work for a FAT32 partition. Lots of posts here on the subject. Have you searched the website?

You need to open a console window. What WM are you using KDE, Gnome etc?

jschiwal · 12-30-2003, 11:26 PM

If you want a particular user or group to be able to read/write to a vfat partition, you can add the gid=xxx or uid=xxx options to your fstab entry for that mount. This will give you as a user access to the drive. If for example there are 3 users who need access to the drive, then make up a group for the drive, and make those users members of that group.

aaa · 12-31-2003, 12:50 AM

Here's an example:
Before:
/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows defaults 0 0
After:
/dev/hda1 /mnt/windows uid=Stevetgn,gid=users 0 0

shemjaza · 12-31-2003, 03:09 AM

what's the diff between a grub and lilo bootloader ? if the chmod cmd doesn't work for a fat32 file system like mine , which one should I use ?

michaelk · 12-31-2003, 07:41 AM

shemjaza,
A very FAQ.
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ght=FAT3+umask

The latest versions of both bootloaders operate about the same. The big difference is that when you change lilo's configuration you need to update by rerunning lilo. Its not necessary for grub.