I need a little better description then what I can find looking through this forum. I would like to be able to access files on my windows 98se partition ( and write to them ) Using Ubuntu 5.10. I see all sorts of threads with information how to mount drives. But no mention of what text editor I am using and how to change it and then use it.
That is once I have altered it and saved it then what. Does an icon appear on the desk top? Even when I read the "newbies" forum for this answer, it seems that I am left wondering......what the heck, am I that stupid???
My windows is Fat32 and as far as I can make out this shouldn't be a problem.

First, you have to find out what you Windows drive is called under Linux.


That is done by this scheme: Hard drive 1 is called /dev/hda. Then, the partitions go up by one3 starting from 1. So the 3rd partition onthe 1st hard disc is called /dev/hda3. The second drive is called /dev/hdb, and the paritions are numbered the same way.

Just as an example, let's say that your windows drive is /dev/hdb1, and we're going to mount it to /mnt/win.

The commands used to mount this device is

# mkdir /mnt/win
# mount -t vfat /dev/hdb1 /mnt/win
That needs to be done as root.

It should be mounted now, and have read/write permissions.

If it all works proberly, then add this line to /etc/fstab as root. First column tells the computer what device you want to mount. The seconds tells it where to mount it. The third tells it what FS type the disc is. The fourth define any options for mounting(in this case, the defaults will be used, in addition to allowing users to mount/umnount it). And to be honest, I don't really know what the last two do, I just know that they stand for "dump" and "pass" respectively. But they are needed.


/dev/hdb1 /mnt/win vfat defaults,user 0 0


After that line is added, you can now mount your device by simply doing a (as a standard user)

$ mount /dev/hdb1


PS the command to umnount is
umount [device]

Also, you can make a link to the /mnt/win directory on your desktop, so you can get to it from there.

Be sure to replace any instance of `/dev/hdb1' with what your windows drive is actually called.

Hope this helps,
JD0028

Add a few things:
To find where all your disks and partitions are:
fdisk -l (ell, not one)

You say you want to access the files on the Windows drive, and then tyou refer to a text editor. The connection is not clear---if you can access the files, then you would open them with whatever program opens that kind of file.

That is my problem were do I write these commands???? on the desk top? Text editor? I do not see were anybody has thought to enter were to write the commands. Obviously I am a bit behind everyone else in the forums.
I can see the logic of the script, but don't know were to place this "logic".

In a terminal window. Look for an entry called "Terminal" or something similar in the menu.

First of all please let me thank every body for trying you have been really patient with me and I appeciate it, but..... I have found "terminal" and wrote the commands in there then what do I do???? Simply writing in terminal and closing it, doesn't seem to mount the drive ( which by the way was hdb1....or drive "c") obviously I need to be lead by the hand step by step. Please don't think I haven't been trying ( spent most of the day) I just can't mount the windows disk. and by the way when I leave the computer for a while and come back Ubuntu seems to have gone into hibernation and I can't seem to get it back up without turning off the computer, is this normal. My windows 98se loads in about 30 seconds, Ubuntu takes close to 5 minutes with the login etc. Is this normal??? so many questions. Thanks again to all for your help and I promise I will learn eventualy.

I am also a newbie, but when I had a similar question about my WIndows partitoion (hda1), I chekced the /root/mnt/ directory and checked if they were mounted If they were they will be listed. I am using MEPIS (I tried Ubuntu) and by default MEPIS recognized all drives linked to the OS, and displays them on the desktop. Simple right click will allow you mount the drives. I am also dual booting WINXP (formatted as Fat32 btw).

I am not sure about Ubuntu, and not familair with command line to mount. In SUSE it lists it as a separate directory under /root/windows/C/ (SUSE can read NTFS but not write to it).

WIth MEPIS I have created a common shared drive where I put all my documents so when I reformat WINXP part or MEPIS part I still have my documents intact.

Sorry this is not much help, but wish you come right, good luck.

Take a look at my explanation here: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=396738

It's about the 3rd post down on that thread.

(Not trying to be rude)

It seems as though you still need to learn the command-line basics.

The # means to do something as root. To get there, open a terminal window and press "enter". Then, enter the root password and press "enter" again. You are now logged in as root.

The $ symbol means to do something as a normal user. This is the account you normally log onto everytime you use your system.

To pass commands to the computer, you enter the string of text, and then press "enter".
If you see "error" somewhere in the output, then something probably went wrong. You can compy/paste the error message here so people can help you.

You might wanna read this part again .

For Ubuntu, I believe you can't use "su" by default. You need to use "sudo". So dbknox, if you see lines like

# mount /dev/hda1 ...,

you would use

$ sudo mount /dev/hda1 ... .

As johndoe0028 implies, you do not need to type the "$" or "#"!

Thanks everybody, I am going to be away from my computer until next Monday but, I think with all the answers you gave me, I will be ready to tackle my Ubuntu 5.10 with renewed vigor. johndoe0028, I don't think you were rude at all quite the contary, you hit the nail on the head. If you have any more little hints for me please don't hesitate to write. I will have access to these postings from another computer.....where I am sitting now. A little town called Gimli along the "frozen" shores of Lake Winnipeg up in the north Canadian country side. Please keep the advice and help coming.

Oops, must have been that laptop touch pad