FAT32 filesystems not editable through Debian GNU/Linux

[bizzard]

A few days ago, I switched to IT@School GNU/Linux, a distro of Debian GNU/Linux. I have been previously using Ubuntu 6.06 LTS but with the latest versions, hardware configuration needed to run Ubuntu has increased and I have only the minimum configuration to run it. I have all my main files stored under FAT32 filesystems. But now, I can't make any changes to the files in FAT32 drives. Only root can edit those file systems. I have 3 other users and none can edit the files but only read them. The same problem was there in ubuntu but I solved it by adding all users to the group named root. This time, its also not working. I even tried the chmod commands which my friend told me but without success. Now its a double job for me to copy the files made by all users by logging in as root as i don't want to share the root account with them. Do anyone have a solution for this?

[snoop1990]

I am not that familiar with that IT@School Debian distribution, but I think there is some special command to change chmod does not work. Please remember you can not change the permission if you are not allowed to, this means if you try chmod in one of the that have no access it won't work.

Regrades Snoop1990

[naives]

I think we can read from the partitions of other operating system and Debian doesn't provide us the freedom to edit anything. So I think it is impossible. May be some one will develop it soon.

[snoop1990]

You should be able to add a additional package to enable read and write other file system. Maybe you have to enable it via the root (Administrator) account or something like that. As I told you before I am not familiar with debian !

Regrades Snoop1990

[bizzard]

I could edit the files in FAT32 partitions as a root user, but, no other user can do it. It make sure that there are provisions in Debian to edit the files in FAT32. what I need is to know how it can be enabled for all users.

I am not that familiar with that IT@School Debian distribution

Its same as Debian, with a few additional packages related to education, used in schools, here in Kerala, India.

[bizzard]

At last I solved it..... So, here is the edited "fstab" file that solved it....

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
/dev/sda1 /media/sda1 vfat rw,uid=1000,owner 0 0
/dev/sda5 /media/sda5 vfat rw,uid=1000,owner 0 0
/dev/sda6 /media/sda6 vfat rw,uid=1000,owner 0 0
/dev/sda7 /media/sda7 vfat rw,uid=1000,owner 0 0
/dev/sda8 / ext3 errors=remount-ro 0 1
/dev/sda9 /home ext3 defaults 0 2
/dev/sda10 none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto 0 0

With changing the uid="xxxx", you can make any user edit the mounted fat32 filesystem.

[tronador]

Those steps works for NTFS filesystems?? I have the same isssue root user can edit all data in those partitions but the other users not.

Regards
tronador

[coolwrks]

With the new linux driver for ntfs filesystem named ntfs-3g the above procedure will work well. Just make suitable changes, like vfat to ntfs and so...

[Chiknaa]

Good job with the fstab. Also, there is an application which lets us do the same, with out any modification to your fstab.. I forget the name, but there is.