Dead ubuntu, backing up files permissions

[lordhaworth]

Hi all,

I am (was) running ubuntu hardy heron and it recently died. The login screen keeps refrshing itself up to the jungly drum sound which is quite annoying and I cant login.

Anyway I opted to back up my files and start again with intrepid and a fresh install.

To do this am running ubuntu from a disk and going to copy my important files over to usb.

THe issue I am having is that the usb is seen as read only and Im not sure how to get around this. I've tried

sudo cp etc....

I get

"cannot create regular file" ... "Read-only file system"

Im assuming the issues I am having are because I'm running off a live disk. I could really do with backing a few of these files up!

If anyone can help me change the permissions on the usb stick W would much appreciate it!

[lordhaworth]

Note that I cannot see the permissions in properties

[MichaelSammels]

Try using something like:

sudo chmod 777 <filename>

Or try this:

sudo chown $USER:$USER -R <foldername>

to change the folder owner.

[lordhaworth]

Oh yeah!

After a lot of faffing (I had to reformat my pen drive too!)

The first one seems to have worked!!!!!!

Absolute genius!

Ubuntu forums... probably the best on the web

Cheers