[PLUG] fstab hell(p)

[Michael M.]

Rich Shepard wrote:
> On Mon, 15 May 2006, Michael M. wrote:
>
>> I set up one large ext3 partition when I reinstalled Debian. The 
>> fstab line is:
>>
>> /dev/sdb5 /mnt/library ext3 defaults 0 2
>
>> I want this to be automounted when I boot into either Linux OS, which 
>> is happening. But only root can write to it, since root is the owner. 
>> How do I allow my user accounts in each OS read & write access?
>
> On Slackware and reiserfs or ext3 (two different hosts here), 'defaults'
> includes users and read-write priviledges. If I was at your console, I'd
> modify /etc/fstabs so that line reads
> defaults,users,rw
>
> and see if that fixes the issue with explicit instructions. Please report
> your findings.
>
> Rich
>

No, that doesn't do it. I tried deleting the partition and recreating it 
from within Debian. Still no joy. I tried removing the automount by 
adding "noauto" to the fstab line, so that when I boot up it's not 
mounted, and I explicitly mount it from my user account. I can mount it, 
but I still can't write to it.

There has to be a way to do this, yes? Or is the only way to change the 
ownership? One reference I have says that you should *not* change the 
ownership of /mnt or any top-level partitions. But how do I write to the 
damn partition then?

What's so irritating about this is that I know exactly what to do if I 
were using vfat, but I don't want to use that. Every Linux help page I 
come across is geared to helping you dual boot with Windows, or set up 
shared partitions with Windows, or otherwise interacting with Windows -- 
how about some help for Linux users who don't have Windows? Even in a 
Linux world, it's still a Windows world.

I tell you, at this stage, I'm tempted to go out and buy Windows. I've 
been at this all morning. It shouldn't be this hard.

-- 
Michael M. ++ Portland, OR ++ USA
"No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even larks and katydids are supposed, by some, to dream." --S. Jackson