HOWTO Automount in Hardy

[lomo2002]

hi guys,
thanks for the tricks. I did all those instructions and drives appeared on the desktop, but the only problem is, when i try to copy a file from one drive to another drive, it takes almost a decade. any clue why??? i have to mention that i had the same problem before i followed your instruction. I mean, when i mounted the drives from "Places".

thanks

[pickarooney]

I'm sorry, but this is absolutely ludicrous! Why on earth after upgrading to new OS version should anyone have to go through such a rigmarole to get the most basic functionality to work, something that's been fine in the last three releases?

Does nobody test anything before releasing these half-baked upgrades?

[Rocket2DMn]

I'm sorry, but this is absolutely ludicrous! Why on earth after upgrading to new OS version should anyone have to go through such a rigmarole to get the most basic functionality to work, something that's been fine in the last three releases?

Does nobody test anything before releasing these half-baked upgrades?

Yes, that is what us Development testers do (currently working on Intrepid Ibex). Not everybody keeps their same computer setup, which is why sometimes things need to be changed, like mounting new NTFS drives. Usually this is done automatically for you when you install, but sometimes other factors prevent it (like an unclean shutdown of windows).

[Victormd]

you should be using ntfs-3g as the filesystem driver in fstab instead of just ntfs. ntfs-3g uses the stable FUSE driver with read/write capabilities.

This may be ignorance from my limited ubuntu experience but I have been using only NTFS and have never had any problems (no stability or read/write issues). I understand that ntfs-3g comes pre-installed with ubuntu but have never used it so I wouldn't say that it's a must. Ntfs-3g might be suitable for people experiencing problems using just NTFS but not a must for everyone (plus, you're relieving the system of an extra package). Is this true? Furthermore, what would be the advantage of using NTFS-3G?

[Rocket2DMn]

Actually, I guess ntfs just represents ntfs-3g these days. It used to that ntfs only provided read support (before there was a stable ntfs-3g driver to provide write support), so at least for Ubuntu, you should be safe using ntfs on Gutsy and newer. I still recommend ntfs-3g so you are saying exactly what you are using, but it's your thread so it's your call.

[pickarooney]

Yes, that is what us Development testers do (currently working on Intrepid Ibex). Not everybody keeps their same computer setup, which is why sometimes things need to be changed, like mounting new NTFS drives. Usually this is done automatically for you when you install, but sometimes other factors prevent it (like an unclean shutdown of windows).

Eh, what? What relation has that to the issue of the OS not mounting external devices automatically the way previous versions did?

[Rocket2DMn]

The process is the same as it was before, but sometimes people have problems. Since NTFS is not a native linux file system, we use a third party driver - you can't blame Ubuntu development and testers for the drives not mounting correctly in this case. If I recall correctly there is a bug on Launchpad requesting you to be able to mount an NTFS drive that has had an unclean shutdown (dirty log file) like you can do from the terminal with the "force" option.

Please remember that these are support forums, people don't tend to hang around here when everything is perfectly groovy. Most users upgrade normally.

[Victormd]

Actually, I guess ntfs just represents ntfs-3g these days. It used to that ntfs only provided read support (before there was a stable ntfs-3g driver to provide write support), so at least for Ubuntu, you should be safe using ntfs on Gutsy and newer. I still recommend ntfs-3g so you are saying exactly what you are using

I'm going to add a note so people can choose...

but it's your thread so it's your call.

Not true... this is everybody's thread, all constructive comments are more than welcome

[pickarooney]

The process is the same as it was before, but sometimes people have problems. Since NTFS is not a native linux file system, we use a third party driver - you can't blame Ubuntu development and testers for the drives not mounting correctly in this case. If I recall correctly there is a bug on Launchpad requesting you to be able to mount an NTFS drive that has had an unclean shutdown (dirty log file) like you can do from the terminal with the "force" option.

Please remember that these are support forums, people don't tend to hang around here when everything is perfectly groovy.

Sorry, I didn't specify, my peripherals are FAT32.

Most users upgrade normally.

But in this case is it not a decision from the OS distributors to remove the convenient automount feature or have I been reading the thread all wrong?

[Rocket2DMn]

FAT32 can be read natively by linux. Are you having problem with a FAT drive not mounting? If so, I would recommend starting a new thread in one of the main support forums and somebody will aid you with it. Feel free to post a link here and I will have a look at it myself if you would like.

This thread is a guide primarily on automounting NTFS drives. Ubuntu has not removed the automount feature, it is alive and well and works under the program called hal (hardware abstraction layer).