Partition that can be shared by Leap and Windows 10

[Bill_L]

I should know the answer to this, but can’t find it.
I need to re-size the Windows partition on a HDD, make the 'new unallocated a shared partition between Windows and Leap 15.
I would like the ‘shared’ partition be mounted at Leap boot, without having to have root accept it.
Save files to it from either system, and be able to read the form wither system.

Is this even possible?

Reason I ask is my wife’s laptop newly set up with Leap, and she has folders on the Windows partition that she needs access to ‘cross platform write/read’, and I really don’t want to duplicate them to Leap, then have to admin them when necessary.

[knurpht]

Yes, that’s very well possible.

Create the partition on Windows, use NTFS for it. Make sure that nothing like Fastboot is active.
On Leap, use YaST’s partitioner, select the partition and have it mounted on f.e. /windows/D ( or whatever you want to name it instead of D ). Make sure it’s set to use ntfs-3g ( check /etc/fstab afterwards ). You may have to ( long time ago I did this ) that /windows/D is accessible for all users ( chgrp users /windows -R && chmod 775 /windows/D -R ) and try from OS’s to access files, create them etc.

[Bill_L]

Thank you! That should be enough to let me get it done!
I was going to try to do it from gparted, but it makes sense to start from Windows now that I see it described.

[dth2]

I have recently done exactly the same on an old Windows 10 laptop.

Follow the instructions provided by Knurpht. If he have any problems please post back.

[Bill_L]

@Knurpht

Yes, that’s very well possible.

Create the partition on Windows, use NTFS for it. Make sure that nothing like Fastboot is active.
On Leap, use YaST’s partitioner, select the partition and have it mounted on f.e. /windows/D ( or whatever you want to name it instead of D ). Make sure it’s set to use ntfs-3g ( check /etc/fstab afterwards ). You may have to ( long time ago I did this ) that /windows/D is accessible for all users ( chgrp users /windows -R && chmod 775 /windows/D -R ) and try from OS’s to access files, create them etc.

I set up a small partition on my laptop as a test. It is working for both OS’s.
The only thing(s) I didn’t understand are the ‘mounted on f.e.’ statement. The f.e. is what I couldn’t find. Me being dense again!
The other was the ‘make sure it’s set to use ntfs-3g’.
/etc/fstab just shows it as a windows partition formatted with ntfs.

But, it it is there, it works both ways, so now I can comfortably do it in my wife’s laptop.

Thanks again. Forum wouldn’t let me do the * thing for knurpht.

[brunomcl]

@Bill_L

I set up a small partition on my laptop as a test. It is working for both OS’s.
The only thing(s) I didn’t understand are the ‘mounted on f.e.’ statement. The f.e. is what I couldn’t find. Me being dense again!
The other was the ‘make sure it’s set to use ntfs-3g’.
/etc/fstab just shows it as a windows partition formatted with ntfs.

But, it it is there, it works both ways, so now I can comfortably do it in my wife’s laptop.

Thanks again. Forum wouldn’t let me do the * thing for knurpht.

I believe f.e. = for example.

In my fstab I have this, used since many years (and maybe not all that secure…):

LABEL=windowsD /windowsD ntfs-3g noatime,users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=002,locale=pt_BR.UTF-8 0 0

It allows r/w access to windows D: drive from openSUSE.

Obviously, change the locale setting as necessary.

[Bill_L]

@brunomcl

I believe f.e. = for example.

In my fstab I have this, used since many years (and maybe not all that secure…):

LABEL=windowsD /windowsD ntfs-3g noatime,users,gid=users,fmask=133,dmask=002,locale=pt_BR.UTF-8 0 0

It allows r/w access to windows D: drive from openSUSE.

Obviously, change the locale setting as necessary.

Thanks, I’m in some man pages and web search for that ntfs-3g.

I will look at my fstab again, and see if I can figure things out. It works without the ntfs-3g, but if that will make it better, I will backup fstab, and give it a shot.
I test on my laptop, so I can get it right before I bork my wife’s machine

[deano_ferrari]

@Bill_L

Thanks, I’m in some man pages and web search for that ntfs-3g.

I will look at my fstab again, and see if I can figure things out. It works without the ntfs-3g, but if that will make it better, I will backup fstab, and give it a shot.
I test on my laptop, so I can get it right before I bork my wife’s machine

The ntfs-3g driver is used by default to mount this file system, so no need to specify explicitly AFAIU.

[Bill_L]

@deano_ferrari

The ntfs-3g driver is used by default to mount this file system, so no need to specify explicitly AFAIU.

OK! thanks. No need for me to spend more time than it is worth then.

[pier_andreit]

…any experience with these?
https://www.paragon-software.com/business/extfs-for-windows/#features

https://www.ext2fsd.com/?page_id=16

…in the past for me worked quite well with windows 7

[Bill_L]

@pier_andreit

…any experience with these?
https://www.paragon-software.com/business/extfs-for-windows/#features

https://www.ext2fsd.com/?page_id=16

…in the past for me worked quite well with windows 7

Yes, paragon. And have looked at ext2fsd in the past.
But we are trying to get away from Windows, and the setup suggested by knurpht works both ways without having to put another app in windows.
Thanks for the suggestions.

[nrickert]

Just a general comment:

I have been sharing a partition between Windows and linux for a long time (since around 1995). I originally used a FAT partition for that. But, somewhere around 10 years ago, I switched to using NTFS for that.

The arrangement has always worked pretty well.