Questions about Ubuntu installation

[ubfan1]

While you can certainly format a disk without a partition table, that is not standard usage, and mounts then need the loop option (like a big file). The partition tools like gdisk have explicit commands to make a new partition table, actually several depending upon the type of partition table. Use the build in help command to see the command options (?, or m, or ...). After the partition table is made, then add partitions, then format them (probably with another tool like mkfs).

[yancek]

You might be better off, since you have nothing on the second drive now, to create a partition table (GPT) and a partition or partitions and then format them.

I think I should change the mount point for drive 2 to /home, because it will automatically be used.

No. If you want to use the 2nd drive for /home you would need to create an appropriate entry in the /etc/fstab file and then move everything from your /home directory on the first drive to the /home partition on the second drive and would then always need the 2nd drive attached. Better and simpler to just create a data partition on the second drive to store data files there.

[crashlanding]

!

[crashlanding]

Hi, I think I have just about got it all working. It has not been easy. First, I added a partition table. That made the partition become "Unallocated space". As unallocated space, I could not do anything with it, all options were grayed out. I read about unallocated space, but nothing seemed to help. Finally, I re-partitioned, formatted and added the partition table, a couple of times. Finally it looked right. It was no longer unallocated, and it became red, like a usable partition. So I set the mount point at /home, and set it to mount automatically at startup. I re-booted. Now after accepting my password, it kept asking for it again and again. I booted into the flash drive and reset the mount point to its default. I re-booted and again was in the password loop. I used the fllash again and unmounted the second drive. I was still in the password loop. I re-installed Ubnuntu and this time with the second drive already prepared, the second hard drive was automatically mounted. Now I see drive two in Other Locations. When I select it it says Folder is Empty. So I tried to copy a folder with pictures I use for the screen background, to the second hard drive. I get Error while copying. The folder cannot be copied because you do not have permission to create it in the destination. I tried to create a folder in the new drive by right clicking. But the New Folder option is gray, unavailable. The New Folder option in the drop down menu from the Drive2 thing in the upper left of the folder view, is also gray and unavailable. I right clicked in the directory area and selected properties (for the second drive). Under permissions, all three boxes are grayed out, and it tells me You are not the owner, so you cannot change these permissions. I looked this up on the internet and found that I need to use the chmod command. However, everything here is about not being able to access a file, not about accessing the hard drive. I don't know how to use chmod so it fixes the drive, or the partition. I have given up on the idea of mounting the second drive at /home. I will be happy just to be able to use the second drive. My guess is that the second drive needs to be set up before installing Ubuntu on the first hard drive. That must be why I got into the endless password loop. There were already folders in /home, so it was too late to set the second drive to /home.
Please tell me how to gain access to the second hard drive.

[crashlanding]

Here is the result I am currently getting from the df -h command in case it helps:
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
udev 16G 0 16G 0% /dev
tmpfs 3.2G 2.6M 3.2G 1% /run
/dev/nvme0n1p2 1.9T 9.8G 1.8T 1% /
tmpfs 16G 0 16G 0% /dev/shm
tmpfs 5.0M 4.0K 5.0M 1% /run/lock
tmpfs 16G 0 16G 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/loop0 128K 128K 0 100% /snap/bare/5
/dev/loop2 92M 92M 0 100% /snap/gtk-common-themes/1535
/dev/loop3 46M 46M 0 100% /snap/snap-store/638
/dev/loop1 64M 64M 0 100% /snap/core20/1828
/dev/loop4 347M 347M 0 100% /snap/gnome-3-38-2004/119
/dev/loop5 50M 50M 0 100% /snap/snapd/18357
/dev/nvme0n1p1 511M 51M 461M 10% /boot/efi
tmpfs 3.2G 108K 3.2G 1% /run/user/1000
/dev/sda1 231G 1.8G 230G 1% /media/chris/USBFlash256
/dev/nvme1n1p1 1.9T 28K 1.8T 1% /media/chris/Drive2
/dev/loop6 39M 39M 0 100% /snap/snapd/21759
/dev/loop7 64M 64M 0 100% /snap/core20/2318
/dev/loop8 350M 350M 0 100% /snap/gnome-3-38-2004/143