Linux newbie help needed!

S

Hello everyone,

I am quite new to linux, just installed Red Hat linux 9.0. i have few questions- how can i access my windows partition in linux? ( need a compete reference n guidence). how would i run n install softwares in linux?
How can i access pen drive n CD-rom drives in Linux?

Thanks in advance,

suggestions appreciated,

RedHat Linux 9.0 is very old. Install Fedora Core 5 or 6. For accessing Windows partitions,
create one FAT32 partition. You can read/write to the FAT32 partition without any problem.
First get a Fedora 5 CDs/DVD. Install it. Then I will tell you the procedure for accessing
CD-ROM, pen drive etc.,

S

JGuru said:
RedHat Linux 9.0 is very old. Install Fedora Core 5 or 6. For accessing Windows partitions,
create one FAT32 partition. You can read/write to the FAT32 partition without any problem.
First get a Fedora 5 CDs/DVD. Install it. Then I will tell you the procedure for accessing
CD-ROM, pen drive etc.,

well, i juss want to aware myself with linux whether it's 9.0 , fedora core.. or anything else... the most basic thing regarding linux..

how can i access my windows partitions in linux.?
any idea about lotous?
basic commads

thanks in adavance
speedrider_100

@Speedrider_100, RedHat doesn't mount the Windows partitions, you have to mount
the Windows partitions manually. Here's how:

Mounting Windows FAT32 partition in RedHat:

Open the Terminal Window & type:

$ su -
(Enter root password)

# fdisk -l

You can also use the utility called Hardware Browser to view the partitions in your harddisk.
This will display the Windows partitions & other partitions in your harddisk.

Create a directory , on which you can mount the Windows partition

# mkdir /mnt/win_c
# mkdir /mnt/win_d

Here win_c is C drive, win_d is D drive & so on.

If your are using GNOME use gedit, or if you are using KDE, use kwrite

# gedit /etc/fstab

Add these lines to the file as follows:

Code:

[b]
 /dev/hda1       /mnt/win_c       vfat   auto,umask=0       0        0
 /dev/hda3       /mnt/win_d       vfat   auto,umask=0       0        0

[/b]

Save the file.

NOTE: The physical address of the Windows partition (ie., /dev/hda1) may vary.
So check the output of fdisk -l or use the utillity 'Hardware Browser'.

Reboot RedHat Linux for the changes to take effect. So from now on, you can
access C drive at '/mnt/win_c' directory & D drive at '/mnt/win_d'.

Master Linux command Reference click here
This page explains lot of Linux commands & it's usage.

Speedrider_100 - Get Ubuntu if you consider yourself a newbie to linux. It'll be usefull a lot. It'll auto mount NTFS and FAT32 partitions of Windows. It'll auto detect your USB pen drives and devices and make it auto ready for access, all in a small instant.

For softwares, open the downloaded TAR balls and read the README file. That'll get you going. Also, .DEB/.RPM are like .EXE installers in Windows.

JGuru said:
@Speedrider_100, RedHat doesn't mount the Windows partitions, you have to mount
the Windows partitions manually. Here's how:

Mounting Windows FAT32 partition in RedHat:

Open the Terminal Window & type:

$ su -
(Enter root password)

# fdisk -l

You can also use the utility called Hardware Browser to view the partitions in your harddisk.
This will display the Windows partitions & other partitions in your harddisk.

Create a directory , on which you can mount the Windows partition

# mkdir /mnt/win_c
# mkdir /mnt/win_d

Here win_c is C drive, win_d is D drive & so on.

If your are using GNOME use gedit, or if you are using KDE, use kwrite

# gedit /etc/fstab

Add these lines to the file as follows:

Code:

[b] /dev/hda1 /mnt/win_c vfat auto,umask=0 0 0 /dev/hda3 /mnt/win_d vfat auto,umask=0 0 0

[/b]

Save the file.

NOTE: The physical address of the Windows partition (ie., /dev/hda1) may vary.
So check the output of fdisk -l or use the utillity 'Hardware Browser'.

Reboot RedHat Linux for the changes to take effect. So from now on, you can
access C drive at '/mnt/win_c' directory & D drive at '/mnt/win_d'.

Master Linux command Reference click here
This page explains lot of Linux commands & it's usage.

Thanks...i was looking for this one.One difference is that my windows partitions are NTFS.Will this work for me?

M

For ntfs you will have to use ntfs instead of vfat or if you want ntfs write support, then use ntfs-3g and use ntfs-3g instead of vfat in the /etc/fstab file.

i am trying the ubuntu 6 ... most of my partitions are ntfs a 1-2 fat ... but wen i try to open any of them it says unable to mount volume any way by which i can access the contents of my hdd thru ubuntu w/o having to format em

PS: me using live ver of ubuntu

S

here is my fstab file. i am having 3 partitions 10GB(xp)+10GB(ubuntu)+20GB(data), all in fat. i can read/ write on all drives from ubuntu.

Code:

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
proc            /proc           proc    defaults        0       0
# /dev/hda3
UUID=ae92ae2c-3726-4c06-8655-6c1a8fb3eb73 /               ext3    defaults,errors=remount-ro 0       1
# /dev/hda5
UUID=ad86df28-3d21-4e77-95d1-791f6c843a93 none            swap    sw              0       0
/dev/hdb        /media/cdrom0   udf,iso9660 user,noauto     0       0
/dev/hda1 	/media/c 	vfat auto,rw,umask=000 	0 	0
/dev/hda2       /media/d        vfat auto,rw,umask=000  0       0

M

Just follow what JGuru has written. For NTFS partition, replace vfat with ntfs.
It can be done from live cd too. But, you will have to do it everytime you run the live cd. Also see this *www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/mountwindows
Other way is
Navigate to System => Administration => Discs => Select your hard disk => now see it's partitions on the left hand side => click on mount button => create a folder in /mnt folder and select it.
windows partition will be mounted for u. Repeat it for every partition.

^^ If you have knoppix, use it, or get it. It auto mounts ntfs partitions.

@speedrider_100: I doubt that Redhat 9.0 supports mounting of NTFS drive. I was trying Fedora Core 4 earlier and it didn't support mounting of NTFS drive. One of my friend suggested to download and recompile the kernel, the one with NTFS support. Well, I installed Ubuntu instead. Now I am a happy man.

.
In my knowledge NTFS support is still not available directly in Fedora. Look out for guidance of experts.

M

shivkumar, speedrider is long gone.

^^Off topic...... You find life without college boring??? I love it, no submissions, no complsion of attending the lectures....... Feels like heaven :-D

M

will answer that some other place, don't want to hijack this thread.