Win2k/Linux system, need to share the FAT32 partition, help!!

toob · 06-11-2002, 09:12 PM

Hi all,
I am so glad to come across a place like this

I installed Linux for the very first time this past weekend (RedHat 7.1) on a system with Win2k already installed. Here is my predicament: I want to save graphics files from Linux to be opened in Win2k. I have created a special FAT32 partition from within Windows (was this my first fatal error??) and I mounted it -- well, I placed it into /mnt as hdb4 using this command:
mount/dev/hdb4 -t vfat32 /mnt/hdb4. I was able to then copy some of my image files into that partition from within Linux and could view them inside that folder. I then booted up into Win2k and opened my special fat32 partition -- which showed as empty. The space is approx. 6GB. What am I doing wrong, or what do I need to do differently? I need to get these files out from Linux into Windows but they are much too large for a floppy

Thank you in advance to whomever can assist me!!!!

manaskb · 06-12-2002, 01:44 AM

What u did is correct. Just check if hdb4 is actually the "special" fat32 partion. Try fdisk or even kcontrol->Information->Block Devices will tell u this.

sakeeb · 06-12-2002, 03:29 AM

did you create a fat file system on the patition. ?

if not create fat file system and try again.

toob · 06-12-2002, 09:11 AM

"Just check if hdb4 is actually the "special" fat32 partion. Try fdisk or even kcontrol->Information->Block Devices will tell u this."

Hi, I am not sure what kcontrol is -- I went into kde control system and the harddrive petitions show the 7 partitions that exist on the proper harddrive. . . although I cannot tell anything else from there. . .

toob · 06-12-2002, 09:18 AM

"did you create a fat file system on the patition. ?"

Hi,
I created the partition itself (including setting it to FAT32) from Windows. I know it is a FAT32 partition because when I look at the drive in Windows Explorer, it shows that it is FAT32.

Someone else gave me that command that I used in Linux to create this drive -- how does Linux know that hdb4 refers to the space I just allotted? How do I know it's not just pulling some space from the existing Linux partition, and that is what I see from within Linux? I guess I'm asking: how does Linux know from that command that I gave it that I am specifically referring to that partition, the vfat32 reference? Hmmmm. . . .

jglen490 · 06-12-2002, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Someone else gave me that command that I used in Linux to create this drive -- how does Linux know that hdb4 refers to the space I just allotted?

The Linux reference of "hdb4" is the fourth primary partition on the second physical hard drive. The second physical hard drive being the slave drive on the primary IDE connector (IDE0). Does that sound like the space that you formatted in Windows as a FAT32 partition?

toob · 06-12-2002, 09:51 PM

"The Linux reference of "hdb4" is the fourth primary partition on the second physical hard drive. The second physical hard drive being the slave
drive on the primary IDE connector (IDE0). Does that sound like the space that you formatted in Windows as a FAT32 partition?"

Hi. I double-checked and this hdb4 was not the right partition. However, when I try to mount hd5 (which would be the correct partition/position) it gives me a read-only error. And whatever I managed to do since that, I now have, listed under my /mnt directory, the hdb5 directory, inside which is a complete copy of all the folders and files of the / directory. . . aaargh!!! Well I guess if all else fails I can just reinstall, right?

toob · 06-13-2002, 12:17 AM

As an update, I ended up reinstalling Linux. When I deleted all those files, well, I deleted the OS

Well, ya live and learn. . . but I still haven't figured out how to share a fat32 partition.

linuxcool · 06-13-2002, 05:21 AM

As root, run the command fdisk -l /dev/hdb in a terminal window or virtual console. This will give you a list of all the partitions on hdb.

toob · 06-13-2002, 09:25 AM

Hi Linuxcool,

Okay, I ran that command and it shows my fat32 partition is hdb7. This is of course the new partition I made last night after crashing Linux entirely.

Let me attempt to mount this drive. . . I will be back later to post my results.

toob · 06-13-2002, 11:16 AM

Hi all,

Thanks for your help. I am now completely able to share files between the two OS' using the shared FAT32 partition. Thank you!!! Now, I'll be submitting my next post in the newbie thread about problems with my sound. . . .

linuxcool · 06-13-2002, 09:33 PM

You're welcome.

toob · 06-13-2002, 11:52 PM

Yup,I get some kind of an error even though the partition is mounted when I move stuff over. BUT, I can still go into Windows and the files are there safe -n- sound. Wonder why?? I maybe shouldn't mess with it though since it just ACTS like it doesn't work, but actually works. . .

linuxcool · 06-13-2002, 11:55 PM

What is the exact error you're getting?

toob · 06-14-2002, 09:23 AM

I think I know what the problem is. . . . I added a command in the startup to mount hdb7. . . . now I don't get the error anymore. I believe the error I got before was that I didn't have permission to move things to that drive and that it was 'read only' and the operation was cancelled (although things still showed up in the drive in Windows). I will try to add the startup command to my other ID as well so I shouldn't have problems in the future.