I'm using Mandrake 9.0. I need to mount my Windows partiion without execute, I've tried various options in the /etc/fstab file to no avail. When I use Midnight Commander I'd like to play mp3 files by hitting enter but I get "Cannot execute binary file" because the permissions on all the files in that partition are set to read, write and execute by all.

Midnight Commander is not an mp3 player, it's a file manager. Try playing your mp3 with xmms.

I'm aware Midnight Commander is a file manager, I was using that as an example. When I'm using Midnight Commander, which I do quite often, I sometimes hit enter on a jpeg or an mp3 to remind myself of it's content. I have MC configured so it opens the file with the appropriate program, zgv for jpegs, mpg123 for mp3s, etc. This can be annoying when I have to change each file's permissions first.
I have made an entry to my /etc/rc.d/rc.local file, "chmod -x /mnt/vfatpartition/*" which is a clumsy way of doing it, I'd like to be able to do it with fstab.
Otherwise, I use xmms, playmp3list and mpg123 for mp3 files.

Ok, the option 'umask=000' in /etc/fstab should do the trick.

Didn't workl Here's my fstab:

/dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdb,fs=auto,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,sync,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
/dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c vfat iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=000
/dev/hdc1 /mnt/win_c2 vfat iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0

Okay, I got it fixed. Here's my new fstag:

/dev/hda5 / ext3 defaults 1 1
none /dev/pts devpts mode=0620 0 0
none /mnt/cdrom supermount dev=/dev/hdb,fs=auto,ro,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
none /mnt/floppy supermount dev=/dev/fd0,fs=auto,--,iocharset=iso8859-1,sync,codepage=850,umask=0 0 0
/dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c vfat iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=111
/dev/hdc1 /mnt/win_c2 vfat iocharset=iso8859-1,codepage=850,umask=111
none /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/hda6 swap swap defaults 0 0

The correct syntax is 'umask=000', not 'umask=0 0 0'.
The command 'man fstab' will be of some help with the fstab file layout/options.

This will mount with all your files with read/write permission to the given `uid` and read permission to everybody else.
Directories will be read/write/list for `uid` and read/list for everybody else.

Just thought it would be nice to have a precise answer here as it pops up on search.

Executable bit affects only unknown files. When mc is configured to open files of a certain type it takes precedence over executable bit.

Note, it is a more than 20 years old thread.

So what did you do that yourself? I see no valid reason and to me that is unhelpful and just noise. As to why I do this, I wrote it down to not have to repeat myself often. FWIW

https://rboci.blogspot.com/2017/12/w...cromancer.html

First of all OP is not interested at all.
Next, it was already [not only] answered, solved.
Third, your answer is probably correct, probably works, but definitely not the "ultimate" solution.
Last but not least, your argument about necroposts is a bit outdated, you should probably update it, because you have to put up with someone pointing out that you have reopened a >20 year old thread.

I'm also not interested at all in your comments too, I don't think anybody else is. Just FYI.
Also FYI I will continue to do what I'm doing for the reasons stated above. Feel free to disagree. Cheers.

I've said this before, but – this sort of thing is a prime example of why this forum should have a "time lock." After a certain period, probably measured in months, the thread no longer accepts "replies." You can still link to a post, but you cannot "resurrect" the thread.

Linux changes very, very quickly. Someone who reads a posting might not notice that the previous content is (as in this case) 23 years old, and would have no way to know if it is still relevant. IMHO, the present absence of a "time lock" policy is counterproductive.