HOWTO: NTFS with read/write support using ntfs-3g (easy method)

[vampire666eng]

Ok...some progress.

I changed in the /etc/fstab
this (example for one partition):

UUID=E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 /media/hdb1     ntfs-3g     defaults,locale=en_US.utf8   0    0

to this(example for one partition):

UUID=E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 /media/hdb1     ntfs-3g     nls=utf8,umask=0222 0 0

And finally I see all the partition in the Computer nautilus...but I can't access them. I have to run the "sudo mount" -a command and the drives are finally accessible.

1-how can I make them to automount (mount at boot)?
2-how can I mount them on the desktop (without having to make a unprofessional/un-elegant link)?

Thanks.

EDIT: What the!...Now I the icons are visible on the desktop?!? I didn't changed anything! Boh...never mind as long as it works...(but I fear if I one day I have to re-install all ubuntu as I won't know how to set it up again).

I still need help for point 1.
P.S. Geez if I was a pain in the a*s! I monopolized this thread with my questions...sorry for that.

[Phelan]

Got it working. Awesome.

[Phelan]

You got an icon for your NTFS partition on your desktop? How? I didn't get one...that'd be a nice addition. If not, how do you make one? I havn't figured out how to make a simple shortcut yet.

[vampire666eng]

Hi.
I really don't know how the icons appear on my desktop (sorry). I just mount the drives (sudo mount -a) and they are automatically created.
I guess that it's one of the settings in fstab (maybe the nls=utf8 has something to do about it).

It's really better if you wait for someone more knowledgeable then me (I am a super n00b of ubuntu and Linux's systems).

[jdackle]

I've got a problem with installation (thus not tested the actual thing yet...)

When executing "sudo apt-get upgrade" I get an warning that the packages could NOIT be authenticated...

I DID add the gpg key as instructed in givre's first topic...

Comments?

I'm feeling silly...

Can't anybody say something?... Anything?...

[mikeize]

I have spent a couple of days trying to figure out my disks and fstab. I feel pretty comfortable editing fstab, but somehow things just aren't working right. I have one partition (sda1) that I can't unmount (it's ext3) --because it "disagrees with fstab". sda2 mounts as "disk-1" for some reason. And I can't write to my XP (ntfs) partition, though it is mounted (but as "disk"). Here's my fstab:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# -- This file has been automaticly generated by ntfs-config --
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdb2 :
UUID=ec1ac23d-2485-4280-bf23-8be261461e9f / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sdb3 :
UUID=98c28514-5227-4909-a008-5a76ac3f8b45 /home ext3 defaults 0 2
# Entry for /dev/sda1 :
UUID=1944d697-7af8-43ee-bade-0e340dbe248e /media/sda1 ext3 defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sda2 :
UUID=c60c6f10-8c31-4449-8355-aff00f0ba736 /media/sda2 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.utf8 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdb1 :
UUID=3814972C1496EC5E /media/sdb1 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdb5 :
UUID=970218a8-bf95-40e2-ac6f-88244e50f17a none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd1 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom1 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto 0 0


I'll be happy to post any other info, in the hopes that someone can help me track down the problem.

-mike

[vampire666eng]

givré (or any other knowledgeable person), there are a lot of lost souls (I'm one of them) that need your help!

[kingofpain]

You got an icon for your NTFS partition on your desktop? How? I didn't get one...that'd be a nice addition. If not, how do you make one? I havn't figured out how to make a simple shortcut yet.

If you mount a volume in "/media/", automatically at boot a shortcut on desktop is made (as far as I know).

[kingofpain]

Vampire, you said you have a backup of your /etc/fstab.
A line in that file looks like this:

# /dev/sda1
UUID=B2B8AC11B8ABD261 /media/sda1     ntfs    	 defaults,nls=utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0       1

Now, you have to change it to look like this:

# /dev/sda1
UUID=B2B8AC11B8ABD261 /media/sda1     ntfs-3g    defaults,nls=utf8,gid=46 	    0       0

So, you have to modify only:
1. ntfs-3g instead of ntfs
2. delete that umask thing
3. last filelds must to be set to 0 0

And that's it. Now it should work. I works fine for me.

[vampire666eng]

Thanks kingofpain for your help but unfortunately that doesn't work...

I changed fstab as you said:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/hdb2
UUID=edf52180-dae7-4e4d-aa86-7093e732798b /               ext3    defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/hdb1
UUID=E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 /media/hdb1     ntfs-3g    defaults,nls=utf8,gid=46 	    0       0
# /dev/sda5
UUID=60BCECE3BCECB526 /media/sda5     ntfs-3g    defaults,nls=utf8,gid=46 	    0       0
# /dev/sdb1
UUID=34741DE0741DA5A0 /media/sdb1     ntfs-3g    defaults,nls=utf8,gid=46 	    0       0
# /dev/sdb5
UUID=7A88AFB688AF6EF7 /media/sdb5     ntfs-3g    defaults,nls=utf8,gid=46 	    0       0
# /dev/hdb6
UUID=a508c748-eee0-47d4-b388-bb9925e978b9 /usr            ext3    defaults        0       2
# /dev/hdb5
UUID=81410a3d-0907-4857-8e35-f4867c864d78 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/hda        /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0
/dev/hdc        /media/cdrom1   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0
/dev/hdd        /media/cdrom2   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0

But after a restart still no icons on the desktop.
Not only that...if I try to manually mount the partitions nothing changes. I put

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo mount -a
Password:
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

But no icon.

Instead with my previous fstab I still get no desktop partitions, but at least if I manually mount them, the icons immediately appear on the desktop.

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/hdb2
UUID=edf52180-dae7-4e4d-aa86-7093e732798b /               ext3    defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/hdb1
UUID=E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 /media/hdb1     ntfs-3g     nls=utf8   0    0
# /dev/sda5
UUID=60BCECE3BCECB526 /media/sda5     ntfs-3g     nls=utf8   0    0
# /dev/sdb1
UUID=34741DE0741DA5A0 /media/sdb1     ntfs-3g     nls=utf8   0    0
# /dev/sdb5
UUID=7A88AFB688AF6EF7 /media/sdb5     ntfs-3g     nls=utf8   0    0
# /dev/hdb6
UUID=a508c748-eee0-47d4-b388-bb9925e978b9 /usr            ext3    defaults        0       2
# /dev/hdb5
UUID=81410a3d-0907-4857-8e35-f4867c864d78 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/hda        /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0
/dev/hdc        /media/cdrom1   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0
/dev/hdd        /media/cdrom2   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0

I tried adding the "default" (that should automount), and after the "auto"....but still no joy for me.
Isn't there another way I can try? I imagine that I can't just put in the start up programs the command "sudo mount -a"...as it needs the password right? (EDIT: tried it and it doesn't work).
The strange thing is that in either configuration of fstab, the Filesystem isn't mounted on the desktop.