Sharing Drives between Linux and Windows

[enigm4]

I've got a partition on my computer formatted as NTFS that stored music and video files. I can't work out how to make Fedora see the partition so it can read and play the files althoguh it is visible in Windows.

I also have problems mounting the CD-ROM. When there's a linux install CD-ROM in the drive, it sees it fine but it won't open the drive for music.

Think this is in the right section :S If you need morei nfo, just yell, I'm new at this, learning it at TAFE.

[frontzeck]

Originally Posted by enigm4

I've got a partition on my computer formatted as NTFS that stored music and video files. I can't work out how to make Fedora see the partition so it can read and play the files althoguh it is visible in Windows.

1. your kernel has to support NTFS file system (it doesn't by default i guess, so you'll have to recompile the kernel and include NTFS support; use Google for information on this topic)
2. read the man page of mount command

man mount

a simple

mount -t ntfs /dev/hdXY /your/dir

where X is the drive letter ("a" for primary HD) and Y is the number of your NTFS partition will do the job then
this should be all to get your NTFS partition working

HTH

[kosmosik]

http://fedorafaq.org/#ntfs

[frontzeck]

nice... didn't know this one
BTW, i like ya sig!

[enigm4]

I'm reading these help files but I'm still confused as to what I need to do it. In Windows the NTFS partition is named Arisu and is (i think) M:/ drive.

I just want to provide an icon on the desktop that can access it.........that site that the FAQ redirected me too is rather confusing too as I'm a n00b and not very clued in on this stuff yet.

Sotty :S

[Picomp314]

open up a terminal
type /sbin/fdisk -l
copy and paste the output to this forum

[enigm4]

[chris@localhost chris]$ /sbin/fdisk -l
Cannot open /dev/hda
Cannot open /dev/hdb

thats all i get. hdb is the hdd that houses linux and the Arisu partition.

[Picomp314]

ok try the same command after you try this which will log you into super user mode
su -

[enigm4]

[root@localhost chris]# /sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 4865 39078081 c Win95 FAT32 (LBA)

Disk /dev/hdb: 80.0 GB, 80026361856 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9729 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hdb1 1 4864 39070048+ 7 HPFS/NTFS
/dev/hdb2 * 4865 4877 104422+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb3 4878 9664 38451577+ 83 Linux
/dev/hdb4 9665 9729 522112+ f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hdb5 9665 9729 522081 82 Linux swap
[root@localhost chris]#

[linuxdummy]

I'm also an infant newbie. How does one know if NTFS is in the kernel? I installed a customized Workstation version of FC2 2.6.6-1.435.2.3. Second, I know that I don't have any source files as I'm trying to solve another hardware issue and I am in the process of learning how to load the source files and recompile the kernel.
If you could help, I saw during the installation an option to install source, but I didn't select it. So now after a successfull installation and bootup, how do I get the source files?

[ephex]

Originally Posted by enigm4

I've got a partition on my computer formatted as NTFS that stored music and video files. I can't work out how to make Fedora see the partition so it can read and play the files althoguh it is visible in Windows.

I also have problems mounting the CD-ROM. When there's a linux install CD-ROM in the drive, it sees it fine but it won't open the drive for music.

Think this is in the right section :S If you need morei nfo, just yell, I'm new at this, learning it at TAFE.

CD Audio isn't mountable. You just play it from /dev/hdx
For xmms, there is a plugin that it comes with by default you can use. Otherwise, there is also a nifty little gnome cd player installed by default

[frontzeck]

Originally Posted by linuxdummy

How does one know if NTFS is in the kernel?

One way is to read the .config file... But with the standard installation NTFS support isn't included in the kernel by default. So you'll have to get the sources from kernel.org and recompile There are several useful howtos on the net...

Originally Posted by linuxdummy

If you could help, I saw during the installation an option to install source, but I didn't select it. So now after a successfull installation and bootup, how do I get the source files?

These are the sources for your installed kernel version, install them by running

system-config-packages

(guess you need root access) and selecting the appropriate package.

HTH

[Alnilam]

enigm4,

Try this driver http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/. I don't know what driver does the linux source code uses when you choose to add ntfs support (make config/xconfig) but I have experienced some problems with it (problems such as allowing users, other than root, to access NTFS partitions)

This driver, available @ sourceforge.net is working very well on my FC2 system. Despite providing full read access to your NTFS partitions it allows you (through chmod) to let other users access the partition too.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Alnilam

[finiderire]

Here is a post I wrote on lea-linux, a french site. If you understand french, i bet you'll find in this post some important informations : http://www.lea-linux.org/pho/list.php?f=16

[clearer]

I would consider using NTFS for a swapping area between linux and windows a bad choice. If you have the discs for it I would recommend using FAT drives .FAT is slow and heavy to work with, but for simple swapping for data or a common cahce of music it should prove fine.