Nautilus 3.2.1 not Perceiving ntfs Partitions

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1

I installed oSUSE 12.1 Gnome 64 from the DVD Install disk and everything works EXCEPT, Nautilus 3.2.1 doesn’t recognize ntfs partitions and applications like LibreOffice and Gedit don’t either.

So I installed Dolphin, which doesn’t have that problem but I still can’t save files to ntfs partitions using Gnome’s applications.

Is this a configuration problem or do I have to install the KDE version of oSUSE?

(When I ran oSuse v. 12.1 Gnome 64 bit from the Live CD, Nautilus found the ntfs partitions OK, so the current defect is hard to understand).

TIA

2

So, its not clear to me if these are partitions that are mounted using your fstab file or just how they are being mounted. For external USB hard drive, they get auto-mounted when plugged in. Any partition present when you install openSUSE will have likely been added to your fstab file. One issue is the default settings in your fstab file only allows a root user to write to them, but they can be “seen”, just not written to by other applications unless you are root. I suggest you change your settings in the fstab file, but only for NTFS partitions. Here is a typical setting in my fstab file for a NTFS partition.

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-Hitachi_HDS723020BLA642_MN1221F305BDDD-part1     /Windows             ntfs-3g    **defaults **                          0 0

Your entry(s) will not be exactly like mine, but notice the word defaults, which I placed in bold for it to show up beween ntfs-3g and the 0 0. I am suggesting you change everything between these two values and make it say only defaults. In GNOME you can enter:

Alt-F2: gnomesu gedit /etc/fstab

To edit your file being careful to only make the change I show above for only NTFS partitions, save the changes, close the file and then reboot to see if you can now use Nautilus. You can post a copy of your fstab file from gedit if you wish for use to see.

Thank You,

3

I’m pretty confident that Nautilus is not the problem.

Open a terminal and post the result of

cat /etc/fstab

fstab-info.mpeg - YouTube

4

cat /etc/fstab
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part8 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=33354c82-ca82-4a78-94d6-f6c8abfaa44e / btrfs defaults 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part1 /boot ext4 acl,user_xattr 1 2
UUID=f787327e-e137-4c67-9b8f-6eff9dc6d88f /home btrfs defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part3 /windows/C ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part5 /windows/D ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part6 /windows/E ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part5 /windows/F ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part6 /windows/G ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part7 /windows/H ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0

5

Why not modify your fstab file as I have suggested to look like this:

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part8 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=33354c82-ca82-4a78-94d6-f6c8abfaa44e / btrfs defaults 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part1 /boot ext4 acl,user_xattr 1 2
UUID=f787327e-e137-4c67-9b8f-6eff9dc6d88f /home btrfs defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part3 /windows/C ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part5 /windows/D ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part6 /windows/E ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part5 /windows/F ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part6 /windows/G ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part7 /windows/H ntfs-3g **defaults** 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0

Using the following command to edit the file:

Alt-F2: gnomesu gedit /etc/fstab

Save and close the file and reboot and see just what you get.

Thank You,

6

I want to thank jdmcdaniel and caf for their suggestions. I would feel more comfortable about modifying the fstab file if I knew more about what that file does, how it works, what my current fstab file shows, why modifying it might solve the problem and what the possibilities are of creating a worse problem but doing that. Lastly, why is Dolphin able to recognize my ntfs partition? Doesn’t it depend on the fstab file? Would installing kde instead rfesolve this issue?

TIA

d_hinds

7

I want to thank jdmcdaniel and caf for their suggestions. I would feel more comfortable about modifying the fstab file if I knew more about what that file does, how it works, what my current fstab file shows, why modifying it might solve the problem and what the possibilities are of creating a worse problem but doing that. Lastly, why is Dolphin able to recognize my ntfs partition? Doesn’t it depend on the fstab file? Would installing kde instead rfesolve this issue?

TIA

d_hinds

For more information on the fstab file, you could visit the following link:

fstab - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

When you install openSUSE, existing NTFS partition are added to your fstab file to be mounted on each restart of openSUSE. You can do the same by using the YaST / System / Partitioner and each entry by default requires that you be a root user to write to these partitions. By making the changes I suggest, you can write to NTFS partitions as a standard user.

Thank You,

8

On 2012-01-09 00:26, d hinds wrote:

> I want to thank jdmcdaniel and caf for their suggestions. I would feel
> more comfortable about modifying the fstab file if I knew more about
> what that file does, how it works,

man fstab. Or any unix/linux book.

> what my current fstab file shows,

You should know that, we don’t. Have a look at it.

> why modifying it might solve the problem

Years of experience.

> and what the possibilities are
> of creating a worse problem but doing that.

Close to none, unless you do something different that what you were told to do.

> Lastly, why is Dolphin able
> to recognize my ntfs partition?

Go figure.

> Doesn’t it depend on the fstab file?

Maybe.

> Would installing kde instead rfesolve this issue?

With nautilus? No.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

9

On 2012-01-07 03:36, d hinds wrote:
> I installed oSUSE 12.1 Gnome 64 from the DVD Install disk and everything
> works EXCEPT, Nautilus 3.2.1 doesn’t recognize ntfs partitions

My Nautilus does. Automatically.

> and
> applications like LibreOffice and Gedit don’t either.

Tried gedit, works fine.

More details are necessary.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

10

This is what I get:

If ‘proc’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf proc
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
If ‘sysfs’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf sysfs
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
Absolute path to ‘debugfs’ is ‘/sbin/debugfs’, so running it may require superuser privileges (eg. root).
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
If ‘usbfs’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf usbfs
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
If ‘devpts’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf devpts

11

This is what I get:

If ‘proc’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf proc
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
If ‘sysfs’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf sysfs
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
Absolute path to ‘debugfs’ is ‘/sbin/debugfs’, so running it may require superuser privileges (eg. root).
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
If ‘usbfs’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf usbfs
dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
If ‘devpts’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the package that contains it, like this:
cnf devpts

So, I can see that you are simply lost and don’t understand anything that has been written here. Let me start off with more detail. Nothing in your fstab configuration file is intended to be typed into a terminal session, none of it.

The configuration file we call fstab exists in the folder called etc and is represented by a /etc. The fstab file is a text file which is read on startup of your openSUSE computer. It tells the openSUSE kernel or operating system what hard disk partitions exist and to what folder name they are to be mounted. There is additional information in this file as well, but its not important to you right just what that does.

It was my suggestion that you edit the fstab configuration text file using gedit. I selected the text file gedit becuase you said you were using the desktop called GNOME. Further, in order to edit the fstab configuration text file, you must do so with root (read administrator) authority or privilege. In order to edit the fstab configuration text file, you will need to be root. You do that by using the GNOME command called gnomesu which when run requests the root user password.

Finally, I suggested that you could combine these commands and the name of the configuration file by pressing the two keyboard keys together Alt (on the bottom row of your keyboard in the third position) and the F2 key (on the top row in the third (or second depending on the esc key). When you press Alt and then F2, a small command windows opens from where you can type some commands. These commands do not and should not open up a terminal session.

So, in the Alt-F2 windows you type in the command: gnomesu gedit /etc/fstab and press the enter key. You should see a request to enter the root user password. If you enter the correct one, a text editor will open and it will contain the text from your fstab file.

Now, I was suggesting that you change the text only on the six lines that represent the six NTFS partition disks such that you will change ONLY the text that says users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 to the single word defaults. You will do this six time for only the NTFS partitions and then you are going to safe the file. You are going to exit the gedit text editor and then you are going to restart your computer. This is what it looks like befoire the edit:

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part8 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=33354c82-ca82-4a78-94d6-f6c8abfaa44e / btrfs defaults 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part1 /boot ext4 acl,user_xattr 1 2
UUID=f787327e-e137-4c67-9b8f-6eff9dc6d88f /home btrfs defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part3 /windows/C ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part5 /windows/D ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part6 /windows/E ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part5 /windows/F ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part6 /windows/G ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part7 /windows/H ntfs-3g users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=022,locale=en_US.UTF-8 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0

And this is it after the edit:

/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part8 swap swap defaults 0 0
UUID=33354c82-ca82-4a78-94d6-f6c8abfaa44e / btrfs defaults 1 1
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part1 /boot ext4 acl,user_xattr 1 2
UUID=f787327e-e137-4c67-9b8f-6eff9dc6d88f /home btrfs defaults 1 2
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part3 /windows/C ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part5 /windows/D ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0548920-part6 /windows/E ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part5 /windows/F ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part6 /windows/G ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
/dev/disk/by-id/ata-WDC_WD7500AYYS-01RCA0_WD-WCAPT0551284-part7 /windows/H ntfs-3g defaults 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs noauto 0 0
usbfs /proc/bus/usb usbfs noauto 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0

And that is it. I really don’t think I can be any more clear on what you should do. We do not need to open any terminal session to perform this modification.

Thank You,

12

On 2012-01-09 03:06, d hinds wrote:
> This is what I get:
>
> If ‘proc’ is not a typo you can use command-not-found to lookup the
> package that contains it, like this:
> cnf proc
> dhinds@cmgx58i7:~> sysfs /sys sysfs noauto 0 0

What on earth do you understand by “edit fstab and change a parameter”?

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

13

Your comment Carlos that you have made**: “What on earth do you understand by “edit fstab and change a parameter”?”, **does not seem related to what you have quoted from the OP. To whom is your statement intended and why? More info is required to make sense of your “help”.

Thank You,

14

On 2012-01-09 23:16, jdmcdaniel3 wrote:
> Your comment Carlos that you have made*: “What on earth do you
> understand by “edit fstab and change a parameter”?”, *does not seem
> related to what you have quoted from the OP. To whom is your statement
> intended and why? More info is required to make sense of your “help”.

It is indeed related, and directed to “d hinds”. Why is clear, don’t you
think? He is trying to run what he was told to edit. What I quoted is proof
enough of that, no need to quote the entire thing.

I don’t understand why he is doing that. Running text instead of editing
it. I don’t have the patience you show.

Linux is not for people that do not know the difference between editing and
running a file. Sorry.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)

15

I do agree that he has fallen of the tracks, as it were, making you wonder if any supplied help will do any good, but lets try to post helpful things if we can please?

Thank You,

16

On 2012-01-10 03:56, jdmcdaniel3 wrote:
> I do agree that he has fallen of the tracks, as it were, making you
> wonder if any supplied help will do any good, but lets try to post
> helpful things if we can please?

If someone doesn’t know how to follow instructions or ask, about how to
edit a file, he should return to Windows. Linux is not for them. That’s my
help advice. And I’m serious.

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 11.4 x86_64 “Celadon” at Telcontar)