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Thread: File permissions on removable drives

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    File permissions on removable drives

    Recently I've been unable to cut/rename, etc files from removable drives on Ubuntu. I was able to in the past so I'm not sure what triggered it.

    Basically if I put in an SD card of photos, I can't cut the photos, or delete them. But I can copy/paste them.

    Similarly I can't rename files or create folders on the drives.

    Any help would be great, thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2011
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    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    I agree with the title of your thread: File permissions!

    It depends on how Windows's file systems are mounted in linux. The permissions (file attributes) of FAT and NTFS are set when the partition is mounted and cannot be changed for individual files. So you need to make sure the partitions are mounted with correct permissions (you want write permissions).

    An alternative is to change to a linux file system, where you would get the same flexibility as with the internal linux partition(s).

    Recently I have read some threads here in the Ubuntu Forums about new problems, where these things used to work. Maybe there is a bug in Ubuntu 12.10, but I'm not sure that it affects you.

  3. #3
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    102

    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    Interesting, so how would I go about resolving it?

  4. #4
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    Lightbulb Re: File permissions on removable drives

    Quote Originally Posted by grayfox444 View Post
    Interesting, so how would I go about resolving it?
    The root user on your machine should have full access to your removable media files, regardless of their permissions.

    This means, if you use sudo or gksudo in some way, you will be able to manipulate your files.

    The most sensible approach would probably be to use sudo to give your own user access to the files. If your username on the computer is grayfox444 and your removable media is in /media/thumbdrive, you would want to do something like...

    Code:
    sudo chown -R grayfox444 /media/thumbdrive
    After doing so, your user should have full access to the files.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    I would check also the fstab and the mtab.
    Code:
    less /etc/fstab
    mount

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  6. #6
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    Sep 2007
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    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    Quote Originally Posted by Kirk Schnable View Post
    The root user on your machine should have full access to your removable media files, regardless of their permissions.

    This means, if you use sudo or gksudo in some way, you will be able to manipulate your files.

    The most sensible approach would probably be to use sudo to give your own user access to the files. If your username on the computer is grayfox444 and your removable media is in /media/thumbdrive, you would want to do something like...

    Code:
    sudo chown -R grayfox444 /media/thumbdrive
    After doing so, your user should have full access to the files.
    I am the root user so I'm not sure why the permissions aren't working.

    I tried running sudo chown -R user/media/SDCardName but it said:
    missing operand after (statement)

  7. #7
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    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    place the -R after all .

    I mean
    sudo chown grayfox444 /media/thumbdrive -R

    source:http://askubuntu.com/questions/23441...eck-not-moving
    Dont miss anything even it is small. one small pin is enough to bring down a man.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    102

    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    I get the same error with that syntax.

    Is there a way to set up the global permissions for the account? my account is set as admin.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2006
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    Ubuntu 12.04 Precise Pangolin

    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    Quote Originally Posted by grayfox444 View Post
    I am the root user so I'm not sure why the permissions aren't working.

    I tried running sudo chown -R user/media/SDCardName but it said:
    missing operand after (statement)
    First you have to put the name of the user then the "-R"

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  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
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    Ubuntu Mate 20.04 Focal Fossa

    Re: File permissions on removable drives

    I had this problem with a USB stick. Tried to resolve it with an older thread, so I didn't get this particular help. In the end, the only thing for it was to reformat with Gparted.
    "Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects." Will Rogers

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