How do I mount an NTFS disk with Red Hat 9
 

Greetings!
I have a dual OS system with Red Hat 9 and W2K. The HDD is split in 3 partitions 2 NTFS and a Linux Ext3 partition. Red Hat 9 was installed by a friend of mine who set it up so that it always automounted partition D: of W2K. The file system was FAT32. However, I changed it to NTFS and now it does not mount it.
Can you tell me how I can correct it?
Thanks
:)

Linux has no capability to read/write NTFS volumes. Thats why they made it FAT32. Actually, I think there is a way to READ only, but Linux absolutely cannot write NTFS partitions. The automount was done in your /etc/fstab file, and it still believes its a vfat partition too.

To my knowledge I dont think there is an automated way to go from NTFS to FAT32 either. What you may need to do, if you have the room, is create another FAT32 partition and then move the files you wish to share to that partition/drive. Thats what I did on my system, since Im running XP and NTFS.

Hope that helps in the understanding, if not in practicality.
Kork

Linux NTFS support exists
 

You can!
There is a Linux NTFS Project out there, and the page is quite explicit:

http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/

I have RedHat 9. I just selected NTFS ReadOnly support in the kernel and mounted it read only - RH9 comes shipped with this, intentionally or not.

It also comes with experimental write to NTFS, but this is dangerous. If you need to write, check out the project page for a more up to date rpm.

After enabling NTFS support:

mkdir /mnt/windows
mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/windows -t ntfs -r -o umask=0222
ls -l /mnt/windows

does the trick.

You can just go to this site, down load the required module, and install it. Then, change the corresponding entry in fstab file, and you can read from the ntfs partitions.

-->http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/redhat.html#down

Also, for finding you kernel version, type "uname -r" in a terminal. Since you use RH9, I think it will be 2.4.20-8.

I have followed the instructions in the above however, I can not gain write access to my mounted drive.

I have used umask 0222, 0777, 0666, 0000. in my /etc/fstab file.

I can see each combination makes a difference however while logged in as SU and going to KONQUER... and right clicking the properties of the my /mnt/windows can not check the write properties of this folder.

When I can check and then click apply I get a filesharelist error.
Help please?

Ignore this message (that is, my message, not the previous posting)!

I had started a reply but then I realised I wasn't answering the question.

Sorry for the delay in replying.

The thing is, whenever I use mkdir /d, it cannot create the directory.
:Pengy:

Ok, here's what I found:

[jedi@localhost jedi]$
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ cat /etc/redhat-release
Red Hat Linux release 9 (Shrike)
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ uname -r
2.4.20-8
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ rpm -q --queryformat "%{ARCH}\n" kernel
athlon


The error messages when I try to load the NTFS module are

[jedi@localhost jedi]$ /sbin/modprobe ntfs
/lib/modules/2.4.20-8/kernel/fs/ntfs/ntfs.o: create_module: Operation not permitted
/lib/modules/2.4.20-8/kernel/fs/ntfs/ntfs.o: insmod /lib/modules/2.4.20-8/kernel/fs/ntfs/ntfs.o failed
/lib/modules/2.4.20-8/kernel/fs/ntfs/ntfs.o: insmod ntfs failed
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ dmesg | grep NTFS
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ dmesg | grep NTFS
[jedi@localhost jedi]$ cat /proc/filesystems
nodev rootfs
nodev bdev
nodev proc
nodev sockfs
nodev tmpfs
nodev shm
nodev pipefs
ext2
nodev ramfs
iso9660
nodev devpts
ext3
nodev usbdevfs
nodev usbfs
vfat
nodev autofs


and this is what I get when I open mtab:
/dev/hda3 / ext3 rw 0 0
none /proc proc rw 0 0
usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs rw 0 0
none /dev/pts devpts rw,gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy vfat rw,nosuid,nodev,user=jedi 0 0

and when I open fstab
LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
none /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
/dev/hda2 /c vfat 0 0
/dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0
/dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom udf,iso9660 noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0


I am really lost...

Well, I'm no expert in Linux myself, but I have access to my NTFS disk. I use Fedora Core 1 Linux. For your RedHat 9, I would try just re-installing the support again (i.e. de-install the rpm you currently have). If you do not have the rpm and are just using a kernel module, then for now, forget about it and just try the following.

Bear in mind that NTFS support in Linux should be read only. Although some rpms claim to have write support, read the small print abou it: it is dangerous. Enabling write support will probaby mean that you will irrepairably corrupt you NTFS partition at some point.

You also need to be logged in as root for all of this:

Go to http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/rpm/redhat9.html

and download the rpm for your kenel build (2.4.20-8), making sure you make the correct processor choice.

Read through the instructions in :

[to locate the NTFS partion]
http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/ntfs.html#4.1


[to actually mount the volume]
http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/ntfs.html#4.5

I personally use the command
mount /dev/hdb1 /mnt/ntfsdisk -t ntfs -r -o umask=0222

You should be able to use exactly the same command, changing "hdb1" for the location of your NTFS disk. Make sure you have created a directory in /mnt where you want to mount the NTFS partition. Mine is called /mnt/ntfsdisk. As we are starting again, I'd delete and re-create your mount point incase there are any strange permissions associated with it.


Once you can mount the volume ok, convert the command to go in the fstab file:

[to automatically mount it a boot up]
http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/ntfs.html#4.10

First, locate any reference that tried to mount the partition in the past in fstab, and remove that line, otherwise there will be a conflict.

I don't see any reference to NTFS in your fstab file. If your NTFS partition is on hda2, then remove the following line:

/dev/hda2 /c vfat 0 0

I'm not sure what that line is for, but it seems to reference a FAT partition.
Also bear in mind that this file uses TABs, not spaces. Separate the parameters in a line with one tab.


Good luck!

But how doI become root?

When your system starts up, you will need to do one of the following

(1)Log in as root. i.e. type 'root' as the username, and enter the password for root

OR

(2)Log in as normal. In the console where you are working, type 'su' and press return. You will need to then enter the password for root.

If you do not know the password for root, then I'm afraid you have a big problem as you will not be able to administer the system, unless your own account has administrative priviliages.

if you need to log on as root and don't know the password, if you are using the lilo boot loader you can hit [control] x at the boot screen and type linux 1, which will enter you into run lvl 1 of linux and you will get logged in as root without having to know the password and from there you can change it then log back out and in normally with the new root password.