how do i view my hard drives

figfighter · 07-19-2005, 12:55 AM

just installed madrake... where can i simply see my hrad drives and partitions. i know i can see them under the cinfigure BS icon, but i want something like windows. you click on my computer or home and THERE THEY ARE!

aysiu · 07-19-2005, 01:17 AM

Use Knoppix or Mepis.

figfighter · 07-19-2005, 01:30 AM

okay... i've run a live CD of knoppix and greeeeeeeeeeeeat for a live distro, BUT.... i actually installed mandriva with the hopes of switching from linux.

i want to see my hard drives! is that too much to ask.

the problem with all the distros i've tried is that it can't seem to all come in ONE package! i like THIS with knoppix, THAT with suse, THAT with xandros. and these things i like aren't SMALL THINGS!! why can't someone put it all together already! be the next Bill GATES!!

ethics · 07-19-2005, 03:55 AM

Most things work whatever distro you use, just some come with it pre-working, pick a distro that has most of what you want then look into makign the rest work with it.

If you edit your fstab file to mount all your partitions into directories in /mnt then going into the mnt directory will be like my computer.

billyc · 07-19-2005, 08:42 AM

Have you tried KDiskFree / KwikDisk it shows and mounts even windows partitions so you can watch your movies and play mp3s in linux, from windows.
It should be in your Mandrake.
Billyc

reddazz · 07-19-2005, 10:10 AM

Is there a mediaor storage icon on your desktop? I am sure, just clicking on the media or storage icon should list all removeable drives and your hard drives.

figfighter · 07-20-2005, 08:26 PM

where in Mandrake are these?

reddazz · 07-20-2005, 10:42 PM

If you are using KDE, they should be icons on your desktop called "media" and "storage".

billyc · 07-21-2005, 06:35 AM

Go to Start Applications,System,Monitoring,Kwickdisk and Kwickdiskfree should be in there click on either if you click on Kwickdisk it will put a icon on bottom bar where you can access Kwickdiskfree from bottom bar.

If it is not there you may have to install it.

If you have to install anything go to http://easyurpmi.zarb.org/ and read page so you understand it then follow steps and you should have no problem.
If you have problem post again.
Billyc

AndeAnderson · 07-21-2005, 09:14 AM

If you are not using a GUI like Gmone or KDE then the closest to Windows Explorer is "Midnight Commander", mc, which can be installed to any brand of Linux and called up from the command line. For quick searches I prefer to use it in place of the display the GUI's offer.

If you are using a GUI, then each GUI has a different way of displaying your Directory and File listing. But, they are displayed in a different heirarchy than windows users are used to seeing. They are displayed by first, volume - not hard drive, then by the next lower level until you finally reach the lowest level which only displays the files at that level. For example:

Windows | C:\Documents and Settings\ande\My Documents
Linux | /usr/doc

Linux will not list the specific Hard Drive the information is stored on. Linux doesn't care what Drive is used, installed or removable, it only cares about the volume name and sub-directories.

That's why you don't hear too much about "Defrag" programs for Linux machines.

phil.d.g · 07-21-2005, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by aysiu
Use Knoppix or Mepis.

What sort of a solutions that?!

Linux doesn't use the concept of drive letters like Windows does.

Linux has one file system tree and partitions are mounted in it as folders. For example one partition will be mounted as / (root) another maybe mounted as /home. To see where your partitons are mounted to issue the command `mount` in a terminal, the output will be similar to this

Code:

philip@newcastle:~$ mount
/dev/hda1 on / type reiserfs (rw)
proc on /proc type proc (rw)
/dev/hda5 on /var type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hda6 on /tmp type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hda7 on /usr type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hda8 on /home type reiserfs (rw)
/dev/hdb1 on /public type reiserfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
usbfs on /proc/bus/usb type usbfs (rw)

AndeAnderson · 07-21-2005, 10:37 AM

phil.d.g is absolutely correct.

The main point being, in windows a "partition" is a physical split of a hard drive creating a new Drive letter designation and what Linux calls a "partition" is the same as a Folder in Windows, or a Directory in DOS.

A Folder in Windows can never be split onto two different hard drives but in Linux a "partition" can overflow, or be split, onto different devices (hard drives) with no problem.

Don't let the semantics confuse you too much. Linux is a lot more flexible in how it uses the storage devices than Windows can ever be. Windows has tried to copy this ability in their Server environment by allowing Network Administrators to now create "Virtual Volumes". But, these "Virtual Volumes" still require the use of Drive letters for addressing.

Going from Windows to Linux is a confusing task. It was just as confusing when I went from a Novell server to a Windows system many years ago. It took a long time to learn I couldn't use Volumes and was restricted to file location by a specific Drive letter. Now, I am having to relearn what I had forgotten about Unix and the slightly different Linux.