Linux won't write to FAT32 partition

joshknape · 02-04-2006, 09:03 PM

Having learned here that Linux can write to a Windows partition or a shared parition if it is FAT32, I made one. However, Linux (Knoppix here) won't write to that, either. Is there something else I need to do to prepare the partition?

mebrelith · 02-04-2006, 09:25 PM

Well exactly how did you mounted this FAT32 partition? Show us your fstab line please.

joshknape · 02-04-2006, 09:38 PM

I'm still a newbie, so I don't know what the fstab line is. All I can say is that I made the partition in Windows.

mebrelith · 02-04-2006, 09:59 PM

The fstab is the file in your system configuration (found usually under /etc/) which is used to work the different drives and partitions. You should RTM on fstab.

When I work with FAT32 partitions I use the following fstab line:

Code:

/dev/hdb1               /media/storage          vfat    user,owner,rw,utf8,umask=000 0 0

Where /dev/hdb1 is my FAT32 partition and /media/storage is where I want to mount it. notice that you'll have to create the dir where you want your partition to be mounted. Also notice that all this can only be done with root powers.

detpenguin · 02-04-2006, 10:01 PM

can you copy and paste your /etc/fstab file here? that will help us to help you

chances are although you created the partition in windows, it may or may not have been picked up by knoppix...so you'd have to edit your /etc/fstab file to include it...

joshknape · 02-04-2006, 11:57 PM

I'llm work on that. But if you say Knoppix may not detect the new partition because Windows made it, then would it solve the problem to delete the new partition and remake it in Knoppix? Or would that just invert the problem by giving me a partition Windows might not read.

mebrelith · 02-05-2006, 07:48 AM

Wow! Hold your horses my friend. Before you go on deleting partitions or anything, give us a look at your fstab and also the output of fdisk -l.

mangku · 02-05-2006, 08:51 AM

If you can't find fstab click on your home icon, click on the up arrow twice, open folder marked etc,scroll down and find fstab.

pixellany · 02-05-2006, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshknape

I'llm work on that. But if you say Knoppix may not detect the new partition because Windows made it, then would it solve the problem to delete the new partition and remake it in Knoppix? Or would that just invert the problem by giving me a partition Windows might not read.

No...
To read ANY partition in Linux it must be mounted. If it is listed in fstab, then it gets mounted automatically at bootup.
man mount
man fstab

Netizen · 02-05-2006, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshknape

I'm still a newbie, so I don't know what the fstab line is. All I can say is that I made the partition in Windows.

May I suggest that when you get a chance you read "Introduction to Linux" from www.tldp.org?

http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/index.html

Wim Sturkenboom · 02-06-2006, 01:20 AM

I checked the given links and could not see the answer to the question, so here a small howto for the TS. Note that everything below is done from the commandline.
As pixellany said, the partition needs to be mounted. To do so, first find the partition in linux by running fdisk -l.

Code:

fdisk -l
/dev/hda1 ....................... HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda2 ....................... Win95 ext (LBA)
/dev/hda5 ....................... HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda6 ....................... HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda7 ....................... HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hda8 ....................... Win95 FAT32

// more info here but not relevant

I had to run this command as root. In my case it's /dev/hda8.
Next you can mount it. First create a mountpoint. This is a directory where the partition will be mounted. Check your system if there's a directory /mnt or /media. Those directories are (at least /mnt is ) owned by root, so you now have to be the root user to continue. Go to the directory e.g.

Code:

cd /mnt

and create the mountpoint.

Code:

mkdir a_name

Replace a_name with a name that makes sense to you.
Now you can mount (as root).

Code:

mount -t vfat /dev/hda8 /mnt/a_name

You should now be able to go to this directory and read and write to the FAT32 partition.

Code:

cd /mnt/a_name
ls
touch abc
ls -l abc

This changed your working directory to the FAT32 partition, showed the directory contents, created a file abc (or changed the timestamp of it) and showed that the file was created / timestamp changed.

Having an entry in /etc/fstab makes live easier. You don't have to type the full command, but simply can mount the mount point. I also allows have the partition mounted at boottime.
Mine is

Code:

/dev/hda8  /mnt/a_name auto,uid=500,gid=502,umask=007 0 0

auto indicates that it will be mounted at boot-time, the other options (uid,gid,umask) make the that user with id 500 is the owner and users who are member of group 502 have access. The umask defines the rights.
Check your uid with the id command if you want to use it this way.
If auto is omitted, the partition can be mounted with

Code:

mount /mnt/a_name

I'm not really familiar with live-CDs for normal use, so I don't know if it's possible to make permanent changes to /etc/fstab (doubt it).