[SOLVED] Logical partition unable to mount and unusable...

[ionizd]

Hi, all.
I once had this laptop set up as a dual- boot Windows XP/ Xubuntu machine and decided to remove the Windows installation. I reformatted the Windows partition using Gparted to ext3. That partition doesn't show up in my Thunar file manager and whenever I start Gparted, the following message pops up;
Failed to mount "20G Volume".
I searched for similar issues, but nobody seemed to have any advice that would help me.
I did have to enter my password to make the changes described above, but I didn't unmount the drive before reformatting. I don't have the option now, however, since the Partition>unmount option on the toolbar is grayed out.
I'd really like to have this partition to use as data storage, can anyone help?

[theyranos]

Can we see your current partition layout? Paste the results of

sudo fdisk -l
cat /etc/fstab
mount

[ionizd]

Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40007761920 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4864 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x94e494e4

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 1 2517 20217771 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 * 2518 4795 18298035 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 4796 4864 554242+ f W95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/sda5 4796 4864 554211 82 Linux swap / Solaris
ionizd@ionizd-laptop:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# /dev/sda2
UUID=871ae849-3a75-4d0b-938d-a4b1b47d985f / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /dev/sda5
UUID=6764e73c-be55-455c-b67c-afc10c44eb5a none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto,exec 0 0
ionizd@ionizd-laptop:~$ mount

[theyranos]

The (formerly) windows partition is /dev/sda1, yes?

What happens if you try to forcibly mount it from the command line?


mkdir mountpoint
sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda1 mountpoint

[ionizd]

In regards to your question, yes, I think so...
ionizd@ionizd-laptop:~$ mkdir mountpoint
ionizd@ionizd-laptop:~$ sudo mount -t ext3 /dev/sda1 mountpoint
ionizd@ionizd-laptop:~$
Now what?

[theyranos]

It looks like it worked. If I'm right, the "mountpoint" folder is now your formerly windows partition. You can test that by typing
df --si If the output of that command mentions /dev/sda1 at all (it should show it as being 20 GB of empty space), then your ex-windows partition is successfully behaving as an ext3 partition.

The problem is, it'll go away when you reboot and there's a pretty good chance it's not going to let you write to it unless you're root.

To make the change more perminant and fix the permissions errors, make a folder somewhere (without any spaces in the path or name) that you'd like to refer to your second partition, then add this line to /etc/fstab:
/dev/sda1 /path/to/that/folder/you/just/made ext3 defaults 0 0

Then, if you


sudo umount mountpoint # unmount the temporary thing I had you do earlier
sudo mount -a # mount the stuff that /etc/fstab says to mount


you should be all set.

[ionizd]

It looks like it worked. If I'm right, the "mountpoint" folder is now your formerly windows partition. You can test that by typing
df --si If the output of that command mentions /dev/sda1 at all (it should show it as being 20 GB of empty space), then your ex-windows partition is successfully behaving as an ext3 partition.

The problem is, it'll go away when you reboot and there's a pretty good chance it's not going to let you write to it unless you're root.

To make the change more perminant and fix the permissions errors, make a folder somewhere (without any spaces in the path or name) that you'd like to refer to your second partition, then add this line to /etc/fstab:
/dev/sda1 /path/to/that/folder/you/just/made ext3 defaults 0 0
Sooo... I just make a folder on my desktop or something? Does it matter where I make said folder?

Then, if you


sudo umount mountpoint # unmount the temporary thing I had you do earlier
sudo mount -a # mount the stuff that /etc/fstab says to mount

Sooo... I use the same command code as I did before, substituting "umount" for "mount"?

you should be all set.
I'll have to try this later. Thanks in advance if it works.

[theyranos]

Sooo... I just make a folder on my desktop or something? Does it matter where I make said folder?


Not really, although you probably should avoid places like /dev or /proc.



Sooo... I use the same command code as I did before, ubstituting "umount" for "mount"?


Once this is set up, you probably won't have to type any mounting-related commands again until the next time you change your partition layout or get new hardware.

That "umount" command just removes the connection between your windows partition and the "mountpoint" folder I had you create back in post #4 to check whether the partition was working. Once the fstab entry is there, "sudo mount -a" will connect that partition to whatever folder you pointed to in /etc/fstab.



I'll have to try this later. Thanks in advance if it works.


Good luck. Post back if it doesn't :)

[ionizd]

Okay, it appears that the logical drive is linked to the folder I created, I can move folders and files to it and they appear when I open the file. Also, when I right click>properties that folder, it says that the file's size is 18 Gb. Should I be alarmed that Gparted reports the following when I open it?

Failed to mount "20G Volume".
org.freedesktop.hal.storage.mount-fixed auth_admin_keep_always <-- (action, result)

WTF? I thought this was solved. I may want to do other things with this partition in the future.

***EDIT*** I guess this says it all;

Once this is set up, you probably won't have to type any mounting-related commands again until the next time you change your partition layout or get new hardware.
...but I still have no idea why Gparted says it's not mounted.

[theyranos]

I still have no idea why Gparted says it's not mounted.

Neither have I, but I'm more of a command-line guy anyway. If you haven't already, you might try starting another thread just about the Gparted problem and hope someone more knowledgable happens by.