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

[miragemonger]

The url: http://ntfs-3g.sitesweetsite.info/ubuntu/ dapper main main-all
is no longer valid. It gives me a 404 error when I specify it in my sources.list file. Does anyone know where else I can get the ntfs-3g packages from?

[jdackle]

The url: http://ntfs-3g.sitesweetsite.info/ubuntu/ dapper main main-all
is no longer valid. It gives me a 404 error when I specify it in my sources.list file. Does anyone know where else I can get the ntfs-3g packages from?

Yep, I got the same error when I tried that repository. But both the other ones mentioned in the first port in this thread worked fine.
Well... except for what I've mentioned in my previous post (see previous page of this thread)...

BTW... Does anyone know how to help me with that? Is there anyone else having that problem?

Thanks in advance

[vampire666eng]

I installed the ntfs-3g and ntfs-config (v.0.5.5) directly in Synaptic (I tried also downloading the updated ntfs-config (v.1.0.1) directly from the site but the problem persists ---> http://flomertens.free.fr/ntfs-config/download.html) .
I restarted the system and then all the icons of my mounted partitions (NTFS) disappeared.

What should I do?

# /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/hdb2 :
UUID=edf52180-dae7-4e4d-aa86-7093e732798b / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# Entry for /dev/hdb1 :
UUID=E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 /media/hdb1 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=it_IT.UTF-8 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sda5 :
UUID=60BCECE3BCECB526 /media/sda5 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=it_IT.UTF-8 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sdb1 :
UUID=34741DE0741DA5A0 /media/sdb1 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=it_IT.UTF-8 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sdb5 :
UUID=7A88AFB688AF6EF7 /media/sdb5 ntfs-3g defaults,locale=it_IT.UTF-8 0 1
# Entry for /dev/hdb6 :
UUID=a508c748-eee0-47d4-b388-bb9925e978b9 /usr ext3 defaults 0 2
# Entry for /dev/ !! UNKNOW DEVICE !! :
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

[vampire666eng]

Not sure if this can help:

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80054059008 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9732 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/hdb1   *           1        7182    57689383+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2            7183        7908     5831595   83  Linux
/dev/hdb3            7909        9732    14651280    5  Extended
/dev/hdb5            7909        8273     2931831   82  Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/hdb6            8274        9732    11719386   83  Linux

Disk /dev/sda: 400.0 GB, 400088457216 bytes
16 heads, 63 sectors/track, 775221 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 1008 * 512 = 516096 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           2      775221   390710880    f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5               2      775221   390710848+   7  HPFS/NTFS

Disk /dev/sdb: 120.0 GB, 120034123776 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 14593 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sdb1   *           1        2296    18442588+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb2            2297       14593    98775652+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sdb5            2297       14593    98775621    7  HPFS/NTFS
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

Tried to re mount a partition (it happens also with the other ones) on the desktop but this is what I get:

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo mount /dev/sda5 /home/alain/Desktop -o umask=0
mount: /dev/sda5 already mounted or /home/alain/Desktop busy

And:

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo mount -a
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 (Programmi (Maxtor))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/60BCECE3BCECB526 (Downloads (Hitachi))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/34741DE0741DA5A0 (WindowsXP (Seagate))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/7A88AFB688AF6EF7 (Games (Seagate))
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

Then I checked in the gconf-editor. Then apps/nautilus/desktop and the check volumes_visible is checked-

If they are already mounted why I can't see the drives on my desktop nor in Nautilus? What should I do?

Thanks.

[Phelan]

Total newb problem. Been through the faq and quite a few pages of this post to no avail. Probably just me being an idiot.

I went ahead and got it installed ( think I did it properly...), I can still load my main NTFS drive up but it wont let me make a folder, copy paste or delete anything, so it's obviously not working, what'd I do wrong?

[vampire666eng]

Ok. I re-did all the process following the steps of this tutorial (I restored the partition with the backup created before installing the ntfs write feauture).
I have Feisty so this is what I did:

wget  http://flomertens.free.fr/ubuntu/givre_key.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade

sudo apt-get install ntfs-config

When I run this :

gksu ntfs-config

and enable both the option in the config I get in the terminal after clicking ok:

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ gksu ntfs-config

** (ntfs-config:7879): WARNING **: Can't find device with uuid = 81410a3d-0907-4857-8e35-f4867c864d78


(ntfs-config:7879): Gtk-WARNING **: Failed to set text from markup due to error parsing markup: Error on line 3 char 13: Element 'markup' was closed, but the currently open element is 'b'
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

I can read/wite on all partitions except on sda5 (why?!?) and once I reboot the system no icon is displayed on the desktop or in nautilus.

[kingofpain]

Vampire, don't run ntfs-config. Configure it manually (modify /etc/fstab). It's easy and most importantly, it works.
It's obvious, your problem is from the configuration generated by ntfs-config.

P.S.: I hope you backed up your /etc/fstab before running ntfs-config...

[vampire666eng]

Thanks for your reply. I'll do as you said and get back to you once I finished.

P.S. I have a previous backup image o the entire ubuntu partitions for this cases (I use Acronis True Image (Windows) that is really good in my opinion).

[vampire666eng]

Vampire, don't run ntfs-config. Configure it manually (modify /etc/fstab). It's easy and most importantly, it works.
It's obvious, your problem is from the configuration generated by ntfs-config.

P.S.: I hope you backed up your /etc/fstab before running ntfs-config...

I did the whole manual process, but when I get to the point of remounting i get:

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo fdisk -l | grep NTFS
/dev/hdb1   *           1        7182    57689383+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sda5               2      775221   390710848+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb1   *           1        2296    18442588+   7  HPFS/NTFS
/dev/sdb5            2297       14593    98775621    7  HPFS/NTFS
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ gksu gedit /etc/fstab
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/<your partition>
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `newline'
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/hdb1
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/sda5
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/sdb5
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo mount -a
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs-3g'
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs-3g'
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs-3g'
mount: unknown filesystem type 'ntfs-3g'
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ gksu gedit /etc/fstab

EDIT: since the error...I decided to re-install ntfs-3g (not ntfs-config) with Synaptic. After that I used the "sudo mount -a" command, restarted the system but still the icons of the NTFS partitions are not visible.

[vampire666eng]

I re-did all the steps (and manual method) (after an image-restore) another time (heh..)
Restarted the pc...and yet no partition images.

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo mount -a
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/E0ECE3E5ECE3B3C6 (Programmi (Maxtor))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/60BCECE3BCECB526 (Downloads (Hitachi))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/34741DE0741DA5A0 (WindowsXP (Seagate))
fusermount: mount failed: Device or resource busy
FUSE mount point creation failed
Unmounting /dev/disk/by-uuid/7A88AFB688AF6EF7 (Games (Seagate))
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

alain@VAMPIRE666:~$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1
Password:
umount: /dev/sdb1: not mounted
alain@VAMPIRE666:~$

So...I can't unmount because they are not mounted...and I can't mount them because..."Device or resource busy".
Today I'm not lucky.

P.S. Note that this time I followed 100% the tutorial on the first page of this very thread. I didn't install the ntfs-3g through Synaptic (I did it in the terminal as said in the tutorial), and I didn't install ntfs-config.

EDIT: I just discovered that all the partitions are in /media as directories and I can access them (read/write)....how can I make them look as partitions on the desktop and in nautilus (mount them?).