Can't access HD with Live CD

[jdpearson]

I've got 20+ years of computer experience but I'm quite the n00b to Linux. I installed Ubuntu 8.10 on my laptop so I could start learning. I ended up screwing up a file needed to boot.

I used my Live CD to boot the computer and could see my drive. I thought I would just track down the file and change it back. At the very least I wanted to backup a few files from my /home directory.

However, whenever I tried to access my files I got a permissions error. What am I missing?

Sorry, (I know this is lame) but I don't have the exact error. I just reinstalled Ubuntu since it only takes a few minutes.

Finally, is it possible to reinstall Ubuntu without reformating/partitioning the drive? Something like a Windowz Repair installation?

[SlidingHorn]

Well, there's two different things I think you could mean, so here goes:

1. Data recovery - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery

or

2. Keep your personal data separate from your actual OS installation -
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome
http://ubuntu.wordpress.com/2006/01/...own-partition/

Hope that helps

[IamReck]

Are you trying to access the file through Nautilus?

You probably need to access the file through terminal using sudo.

[akelsall]

You might try booting with your LiveCD, open a terminal window, the "su" to whichever user you were when your created the files you're trying to recover. For example, if you created the files while logged in as "noobie", you would enter "su noobie" and use noobie's password.

Here's a link that may also help as well. It's info I posted when upgrading to 8.10, but there are things there that may help (especially in respect to your question about re-installing without having to repartition). The other links posted looked very useful as well.

Andy

[emecas]

...About access your HD... how are you trying to access?

maybe you can take a view of those posts ....

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=900839
http://ubuntuforums.org/archive/index.php/t-250165.html

[dannyboy79]

when you boot from the livecd, does it show your hard drive as being mounted? is there for example after entering this command

mount

somewhere in the list something called either hda1 or sda1? if not, you'll need to mount it yourself. You need to find out what disks you have in your system first, that would be done with this command

sudo fdisk -l

this will show something like this:
Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x86938693

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 4741 38082051 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 4742 4865 996030 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Disk /dev/sdb: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000ddbc0

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sdb1 1 60801 488384001 83 Linux

so determine which disk you want to mount.
that would be done with this command

sudo mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/

now the entire hda partition 1 is mounted at the folder within nautilus /mnt. Within there you should be able to access and change anything you want with sudo through the terminal or launch nautilus using gksudo nautilus BUT be careful, while using gksudo with nautilus can be very dangerous because one wrong drag and drop and you've really done it. Good luck and let us know what file you think you buggered up.

[IamReck]

It should be listed under "Places" you should just have to click on it to mount it.

[jdpearson]

Well, there's two different things I think you could mean, so here goes:

1. Data recovery - https://help.ubuntu.com/community/DataRecovery

or

2. Keep your personal data separate from your actual OS installation -
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/separatehome
http://ubuntu.wordpress.com/2006/01/...own-partition/

Hope that helps

Thanks. No, no. 1 is not what I'm looking for but #2, which I've seen discussed before, would help for future issues. Although I think I'd still have to go back and install all the appys I was more interested in just replacing the startup files.

[jdpearson]

It should be listed under "Places" you should just have to click on it to mount it.

Thanks to all the posts so far. The problem was not that I couldn't see or mount the hard drive. In fact I could! However, my desire was to copy my /home director to a backup drive, or just to edit the file that I think I screwed up. No matter what file I tried to copy or move I got a permissions error.

Now, in ******* I would have simply "taken ownership" of the files (assuming they weren't encrypted) and been able to move all those files.

[mapes12]

If you're using Terminal try changing permissions for /home and all its contents like this

sudo chmod -R 777 /home

but you may need a wildcard for the files to inherit the permissions like this

sudo chmod -R 777 /home/*

Note that 777 gives permissions for anyone to do anything.

Or a GUI option would be to go in with root access like this

gksudo nautilus

and try dragging what you want to where you want it.