Keeping NTFS volumes mounted...Ubuntu 7.10

[Sid]

Hi guys,

I've started using Ubuntu 7.10 now, and I'd like to keep the NTFS volumes (I've got 5 partitions) mounted, and if possible on the desktop.

Well, I say mounted, I assume that's the correct terminology?

Anyway, I've had a look on the wiki, and there is a line to enter in the terminal that, I think, is supposed to stop the drives from un-mounting on reboot, but they keep un-mounting.

Any help is well appreciated.

Cheers!

[quaxo]

You have to edit fstab to make NTFS drive mount automatically at boot. Here's a good explanation of it:

http://www.arsgeek.com/?p=585

[Sid]

I sorted the problem.

Like you said I had to edit Fstab, but that blog you linked me to just confused me more.

I've written how I did it on my myspace blog.

With 7.10 NTFS read&write is native, so I didn't need to install anything else.

Thanks for the help though, appreciate it.

[liambiscuit]

what the heck is fstab...

[quaxo]

what the heck is fstab...

The fstab file is the file system table. It's common in Unix and Linux. Basically it holds all the information for all drives (partitions) and where and how to mount them either when the system is booted or when the 'mount -a' command is used.

[liambiscuit]

i know -a means abort... so mount -a must be to disconnect a drive/device, but the rest i had NO FREAKIN CLUE what it meant....

[quaxo]

i know -a means abort...

Eh, no. mount -a automatically mounts all drives from the fstab except for those with the 'noauto' tag. To remove a mounted drive, the command is 'umount' (yes, umount, not unmount).

If you're serious about using Linux, I suggest you get a book and read a bit. If you find tech talk confusing, "Linux for Dummies" provides a good introduction into many different Linux distros and desktops. It comes with a CD (or DVD, I can't remember) with several distros as well.

[Sid]

I'm quite surprised at how no-one seems to have written a basic instruction on how to do this...

All the guides I found were for 7.04, and you had to d/l something to make it understand you wanted to read AND write to the drive.  The Gutsy wiki explains that you need to edit fstab, but it doesn't tell you what will need inputting.

I can't be the only on who wants my NTFS partitions mounted on boot, can I? Lol.

[liambiscuit]

well my pc hd is so small 60 gigs, 3 partitions... one 30, win xp, 20 unpartitioned (used to be linux) and 10 gig sharing.... i never really needed to do that...

and im not a COMPLETE moron i know what some things mean... im just too used to windows xp right now...

and if i could makea boot floppy that would make my life alot easier.

[quaxo]

This is one of the reasons I use Fedora 8, it comes with built in NTFS support. No need to edit the fstab or anything.

[liambiscuit]

fedora... heard of it... isnt that the one that takes 7 cds?

[Sid]

This is one of the reasons I use Fedora 8, it comes with built in NTFS support. No need to edit the fstab or anything.

It keeps the NTFS volumes mounted on reboot?

Swish.

[quaxo]

I dunno about the CDs. I downloaded the DVD ISO and just used that. 1 DVD.

It keeps the NTFS volumes mounted on reboot?

Swish.

Yeah, many improvements over Fedora 6 & 7. That's one of them. Much better hardware support as well. The only thing it wasn't ready for was my webcam I think.

[liambiscuit]

dvds are 5.4 gigs....   cds are 700 megs...   yes like 5 cds