mounting different partitions

[zed994]

Hey,

I am new to linux, so i am dual booting, using Fdisk i am going to set up my HD as

1. XP applications and OS (FAT32)
2. Data accessible by both OS. <--------my question regards this. (FAT32)

3. Mandrake Linux 9.2 (when comes out) (mandrake file system)
4. Mandrake Swap Files (mandrake file systems)


Using n e means of depth you would like, could someone please explain how to mount the DATA partition in Linux so that it can see/access it as well as XP.

Thanks Alot
Alex

 

[AP81]

You will have a file /etc/fstab. Open this file and have a look at it. This is where all the mounting of filesystem takes place, and you can add new entries to this.

Remember that Linux sets up partitions as:

First Primary: /dev/hda
First Logical: /dev/hda5
Second Logical: /dev/hda6
Third Logical: /dev/hda7
...and so on.

Normally, you won't have more than one primary partition.

First, make a directory to mount you partition to:

e.g. mkdir /mnt/win

Next, mount the partition:

e.g. mount -t vfat /dev/hdaX /mnt/win (substitute X for your partition, which in your case i think should be hda5)

Once the partition mounts correctly, then edit your /etc/fstab file and add the following line:

/dev/hda5 /mnt/win vfat auto,user,umask=000 0 0

This will automatically mount it at boot with full read/write access.

Good Luck.

 

[zed994]

Thanks for the instructions, but just copying what you told me to do, will not help me much at all, would it be easy for me to find a place that helps me understand what u told me, or do u know a place where i can read about this process. as i cannot understand some of the stuff you are saying and just copying is of no advantage really to me, dont have to if u dont wanna

Alex

 

[AP81]

Tell me what you don't understand and I will explain it further.

 

[zed994]

Where you have said:

Remember that Linux sets up partitions as:

First Primary: /dev/hda
First Logical: /dev/hda5
Second Logical: /dev/hda6
Third Logical: /dev/hda7
...and so on.

is that just the linux partition or is the &quot;First Primary part&quot;, my windows partition and if so, which one would be y data partition (refer to my HD plan previously)

My second question regards making a folder in /etc/fstab, why do i do that again????? (i am trying to mount not the windows partition as well btw, just the data files they will be able to share as i am partitioning a data partition too. the win partition is just for windows applications etc and linux partition for linux apps.

Thanks
Alex

 

[AP81]

That refers to any partitioning. If you already have Windows installed, then it is most likely on a primary partition.

If you want a shared parition, just do the same except change the directory name, e.g

mkdir /mnt/shared

...in your etc/fstab

/dev/hda5 /mnt/shared vfat auto,user,umask=000 0 0