Linking /mnt/win_d to my desktop for easy access
 

Subject line explains it all, how would I go about doing this though?

You don't specify whether you're using GNOME or KDE...

This will work for GNOME...

Change to your home directory, and then go into the .gnome-desktop
Then create a symbolic link to the mount directory.

As an example, if you wanted a link to /mnt/win_d, you would type something like this:

ln -s /mnt/win_d win_d

You should see a folder appear on the desktop with a green arrow indicating it is a link. Then you should be able to open it like normal.

Edit the fstab from /etc/fstab, where it should be something like

dev/hdXN vfat defaults 0 0

, (where X could be a,b,c,etc and N=1,2,3,4,5,6, etc) depends on partition and hard-drive (although being win_d most probably it is hda5 or hda6), X and N points to the partition and the hard-disk.
you should modify it this way:

dev/hdXN vfat auto,users,rw,suid,exec,umask=7000 0 0

(X and N should remain what they originally were)

the umask=7000 makes all files in the partition writable, readable and executable for all users/groups.

After reboot there should appear a nice icon of a hard drive on the desktop, and not on your user account only (as it would linking it), but for every user.
(Actually depends on what linux distribution and version you have, but most do this).

Ok cool. Kinda a multiple learning experience for me there. I didn't know different wm's vary in how these things are done. I thought a wm is just basically the amount of configurational ability you have and everything else was global, on a lower level like the kernel. Whereas, the same commands are used. Or did I take what you said out of context?

"You don't specify whether you're using GNOME or KDE..." ??

Anyways, thanx for the quick responses guys, I'm gonna mess around with what you had suggest just to see how it works. And be happy and lazy with my new founded shortcut. :)

Well I did the ln command idea first. It worked but it creates another directory called win_d within the win_d on my dsektop and within THAT directory are the contents of the partition. How would I remove the useless directory so that the contents of the partition are directly placed within the directory on the desktop?>

well the way i do is just create a shortcut like you would any other shortcut, simple as that
i know in gnome which i use, it is as easy as right clicking the desktop select new launcher and specify /mnt/win_d and make it type "link" in the drop down list....
in kde when you right click the desktop it says something like link to application rather than new launcher...

Too sweet. Ok thanx Dr0zz that is exactly how I want it.

no problem d00d!

Hrm... I tried editing the /etc/fstab file and used
/dev/hda5 /mnt/win_d vfat user, rw, exec, uid=500 0 0

to auto mount win_d but when rebooting AND on booting it says bad fstab line 6.. line 6 is this line, the line I just added. What's wrong with it?

the only thing i can suggest from looking at that is the spaces you have between --> user, rw, exec, uid=500, unless hda5 is wrong if its not get rid of the spaces ( user,rw,exec,uid=500)

On the money! Woohoo..

"/dev/hda5 /mnt/win_d vfat user, rw, exec, uid=500 0 0"
What's wrong is that vfat doesn't have uid, you have to use umask=XXXX, where XXXX are the bits you don't want to be enabled (it kinda is the !XXXX (not XXXX) in C++) so if you want 500 you probably would write emm... 5 = 101 => 010 = 2 => umask=277) anyway as far as I can remember without looking to some documentation umask has 4 digits that's why i put umask=7000 (write/execute/read) for every user. Secondly you should check the spaces between the comma separated arguments (user,rw,exec,umask=7000)
just try instead

"/dev/hda5 /mnt/win_d vfat user,rw,exec,suid,umask=7000 0 0"
and see what happens, than experiment with the 7000 thing.
Good luck.