Multiple errors when trying to start ntfs-config

Mwanafunzi · May 27, 2011, 10:47pm

Hello: First of all, ntfs-config does not appear in the menu in openSUSE 11.4 Gnome 2.32. When I try to start it using the run command(Alt + F2) it gives the following error in a small window:

Insufficient Rights. You need administrative rights to start this application.

I then try to run it as root (su -l or su) and it gives the following error:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/usr/bin/ntfs-config”, line 102, in <module>
main(args, opts)
File “/usr/bin/ntfs-config”, line 75, in main
app = NtfsConfig()
File “/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/NtfsConfig/NtfsConfig.py”, line 56, in init
os.mkdir(HAL_CONFIG_DIR)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/hal/fdi/policy’

Here is a brief summary of my pc:

openSUSE 11.4
Gnome 2.32
Kernel-Desktop 2.6.37.6-0.5.1
ntfs-3g, ntfs-config (from Gnome:Apps 11.4), ntfsprogs.

All these packages and others are already installed in my computer.

Please Help.

jdmcdaniel3 · May 27, 2011, 11:24pm

ntfs-config is a graphical based application which must be ran as root if installed. Try the (gnome) command:

gksu /usr/bin/ntfs-config

OR in kde

kdesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config

After looking at it, it allows you to enable or disable write support for all mapped ntfs drives, but that is all it seems to do. Just what are you wanting to do? The program ntfsprogs gives a lot more things you can do. Search YaST to see its loaded file listing.

Thank You,

Mwanafunzi · May 27, 2011, 11:42pm

Thank you James, I just tried to run the commands you gave in case I’m using Gnome; “gksu /usr/bin/ntfs-config” but I get the following message in the terminal:

If ‘gksu’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf gksu

I then tried running: “cnf gksu”, and I got the following response:

gksu: command not found!

I need ntfs-config because it provides a very simple interface for mounting ntfs partitions.

jdmcdaniel3 · May 27, 2011, 11:49pm

Give this a try.

gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config

I don’t use gnome and so I am not sure of the graphical su command, but /usr/bin/ntfs-config is a graphic based program, not a terminal program.

Thank You,

Mwanafunzi · May 28, 2011, 12:02am

I just tried the command “gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config” and after entering the root password in the password needed window, I get the following message:

Traceback (most recent call last):
File “/usr/bin/ntfs-config”, line 102, in <module>
main(args, opts)
File “/usr/bin/ntfs-config”, line 75, in main
app = NtfsConfig()
File “/usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/NtfsConfig/NtfsConfig.py”, line 56, in init
os.mkdir(HAL_CONFIG_DIR)
OSError: [Errno 2] No such file or directory: '/etc/hal/fdi/policy’

Why does the error message contain HAL? I thought HAL was completely deprecated in openSUSE 11.4.

Thanks.

jdmcdaniel3 · May 28, 2011, 12:08am

So consider the program could be screwed up or it does not work properly under GNOME. Here is one last thing to try now that we know the gnome su command. Open up a terminal command and type:

/usr/bin/dbus-launch gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config

If you have installed KDE, you could always switch sessions just to see if it will work there by chance.

Thank You,

Mwanafunzi · May 28, 2011, 12:21am

OK, I just ran the command “/usr/bin/dbus-launch gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config” and I got the same exact error. I believe that you are right, the program may be having a problem.

Do you know of any good articles on how to mount and manipulate ntfs partitions in openSUSE?

jdmcdaniel3 · May 28, 2011, 12:55am

OK, I just ran the command “/usr/bin/dbus-launch gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config” and I got the same exact error. I believe that you are right, the program may be having a problem.

Do you know of any good articles on how to mount and manipulate ntfs partitions in openSUSE?
So, it goes back to what you want to do. If you plug in a ntfs hard drive say, it will be auto mounted for you. If you have any ntfs partition you want mounted on startup, you can add it to your fstab file. The YaST Partitioner can be used to add it for you to your fstab file. Here is an example of such partitions in my fstab file:

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HDS723020BLA642_MN1221F305BDDD-part1     /Windows             ntfs-3g    defaults                                     0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-ST31500541AS_5XW14NDQ-part1                      /Software            ntfs-3g    defaults                                     0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/usb-WDC_WD20_EARS-00MVWB0_0123456789ABCDEF-0:0-part1 /DataSafe            ntfs-3g    defaults                                     0 0

Thank You,

Mwanafunzi · May 28, 2011, 2:12pm

Thank you James, I’m going to try out YaST partitioner. Wonderful examples by the way.

Thanks Again.

robin_listas · May 28, 2011, 3:08pm

On 2011-05-28 00:06, Mwanafunzi wrote:
>
> I just tried the command “gnomesu /usr/bin/ntfs-config” and after
> entering the root password in the password needed window, I get the
> following message:

View this thread: http://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php?t=460579

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.2 x86_64 “Emerald” at Telcontar)

jdmcdaniel3 · May 28, 2011, 3:53pm

So, I guess one could check to see if the folder /etc/hal/fdi/policy did exist and if so, create a file called HAL_CONFIG_DIR within it, all as a root user I suppose. It does not seem to be required in KDE and does not even make any difference as far as I can see. Thanks for the oblique help robin_listas.

Thank You,

Mwanafunzi · May 28, 2011, 9:35pm

Thank you robin_listas and James, I tried out YaST Partitioner and it was great although it was through a testrun with a live DVD on my friends laptop which had ntfs partitions. I was also extremely pleased because his laptop had a ATi Radeon HD 4500 discrete graphics card which worked beautifully considering I had just posted a question to do with an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 4250 No Login Screen with openSUSE 11.4(Suse Studio Build) with ATi Mobility Radeon HD 4250. Not only was the Radeon HD 4500 a better card, it was a new experience all together.

Back to the main topic, I also took a look at the thread you linked and it was good, but I liked YaST Partitioner even more. I think I will stick with YaST Partitioner.

Thank you robin_listas.

Thank you James.

jdmcdaniel3 · May 28, 2011, 11:15pm

Thank you robin_listas and James, I tried out YaST Partitioner and it was great although it was through a testrun with a live DVD on my friends laptop which had ntfs partitions. I was also extremely pleased because his laptop had a ATi Radeon HD 4500 discrete graphics card which worked beautifully considering I had just posted a question to do with an AMD Mobility Radeon HD 4250 No Login Screen with openSUSE 11.4(Suse Studio Build) with ATi Mobility Radeon HD 4250. Not only was the Radeon HD 4500 a better card, it was a new experience all together.

Back to the main topic, I also took a look at the thread you linked and it was good, but I liked YaST Partitioner even more. I think I will stick with YaST Partitioner.

Thank you robin_listas.

Thank you James.
You are welcome for the help Mwanafunzi. When using the Partitioner, please note that I changed the options setting to just say defaults, instead of the long string of options that the Partitioner will use. These are fine for Linux Partitions, but not so much for NTFS Windows partitions. Just edit the /etc/fstab as root (Please ask if you do not know how) and change the options to just say defaults and you will be fine.

thank You,