Read-write access to an ext3 partition
I want to be able to read-write to one of my ext3 partitions as an ordinary user as I can to the home partition and the FAT32 partitions. I am running Kubuntu Edgy which uses UUIDs in /etc/fstab which I haven't got the hang of yet (for everything except floppies and CDROMs). e.g. # /dev/hdd2 UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxx /media/hdd2 ext3 defaults 0 2 # /dev/hdd1 UUID=xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxx /media/hddboot ext3 defaults 0 2 and for the FAT32 partitions: # /dev/hdb1 UUID=xxxx-xxxx /media/win-c vfat defaults,utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 0 # /dev/hdb5 UUID=xxxx-xxxx /media/win-data vfat defaults,utf8,umask=007,gid=46 0 0 # /dev/hda7 The umask option seems to be available only on FAT32 partitions and just adding user or users to the ext3 options doesn't do the trick. I have Googled and looked at the Edgy manual but can't find anything that quite explains how to do it in the approved way - not one that I can understand anyway. Can somebody point me to the right way of doing this? TIA Rod
The umask option seems to be available only on FAT32 partitions and just adding user or users to the ext3 options doesn't do the trick.
This is because the FAT32 filesystem has no understanding of unix user and permission types itself, so the mount options you mentioned are used to fudge it a bit. ext3 does understand unix users and permission types. However, you should be very careful about resetting these permissions willy-nilly. From your post it would seem that you have another linux version installed onto hdd? (there's an hddboot partition you are mounting, which sounds like the boot partition of another linux install). If that's the case, be *very* *very* careful about changing permissions, as if you do the wrong thing you could stop that install of linux booting entirely. If hdd is just another disk you wish to use, or has a linux install you will never want to boot again, feel free to carry on. You need to use the "chown" command to change ownership of a file or directory to your user, and the "chmod" command to change permissions. Again, be very careful with these commands, as they can potentially damage or render useless your linux system. I'm sure there's a good set of notes on how these things work on the wlug wiki, or round somewhere else, so I won't fill them in here for now.
Daniel Lawson wrote:
The umask option seems to be available only on FAT32 partitions and just adding user or users to the ext3 options doesn't do the trick.
This is because the FAT32 filesystem has no understanding of unix user and permission types itself, so the mount options you mentioned are used to fudge it a bit.
Yes, that's what I thought.
ext3 does understand unix users and permission types.
However, you should be very careful about resetting these permissions willy-nilly. From your post it would seem that you have another linux version installed onto hdd? (there's an hddboot partition you are mounting, which sounds like the boot partition of another linux install). If that's the case, be *very* *very* careful about changing permissions, as if you do the wrong thing you could stop that install of linux booting entirely.
Good point - I should have removed the boot partition from fstab.
If hdd is just another disk you wish to use, or has a linux install you will never want to boot again, feel free to carry on.
hdd has a previous version of Kubuntu, I am planning to use it for data. I was wondering if there is a simple way of making it available just to me as an ordinary user retaining the UUID system for security.
You need to use the "chown" command to change ownership of a file or directory to your user, and the "chmod" command to change permissions. Again, be very careful with these commands, as they can potentially damage or render useless your linux system.
I'm sure there's a good set of notes on how these things work on the wlug wiki, or round somewhere else, so I won't fill them in here for now.
Thanks for the prompt reply Rod
hdd has a previous version of Kubuntu, I am planning to use it for data. I was wondering if there is a simple way of making it available just to me as an ordinary user retaining the UUID system for security.
Do you care about the contents of the filesystem as it is, or do you wish to wipe it completely? If you don't care, you have a couple of options - you can format the filesystem. This will change the UUID, so you'll need to find the new UUID and update the /etc/fstab entry regarding this. Or you can just delete it. If you really truly don't care about the old kubuntu install, then do the following commands in a terminal window as the root user (or via the sudo command) assuming it's mounted on /media/hdd2, and your username is roderick: chown -R roderick: /media/hdd2 chmod -r u+rw /media/hdd2 The "chown" command recursively (-R) changes the ownership of /media/hdd2 to roderick The "chmod" command recursively (-r this time) grants read/write access to the user who owns /media/hdd2. This step isn't strictly speaking neccesary, but it won't hurt.
Daniel Lawson wrote:
hdd has a previous version of Kubuntu, I am planning to use it for data. I was wondering if there is a simple way of making it available just to me as an ordinary user retaining the UUID system for security.
Do you care about the contents of the filesystem as it is, or do you wish to wipe it completely?
If you don't care, you have a couple of options - you can format the filesystem. This will change the UUID, so you'll need to find the new UUID and update the /etc/fstab entry regarding this.
Or you can just delete it.
If you really truly don't care about the old kubuntu install, then do the following commands in a terminal window as the root user (or via the sudo command)
assuming it's mounted on /media/hdd2, and your username is roderick:
chown -R roderick: /media/hdd2 chmod -r u+rw /media/hdd2
The "chown" command recursively (-R) changes the ownership of /media/hdd2 to roderick The "chmod" command recursively (-r this time) grants read/write access to the user who owns /media/hdd2. This step isn't strictly speaking neccesary, but it won't hurt.
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I have been away for a few days, just caught up on the email. Edgy is working OK and everything from the old version that I want to keep has been transferred, so I think I will format it. I think the chmod is necessary with the UUID config used in Edgy. Thanks again for the prompt and helpful reply. Rod
participants (2)
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Daniel Lawson -
Roderick Aldridge