Mega stupid linux/windows question
 

Hi, I think I'll be giving up my geek card for asking such a stupid question but here it goes.

I run mostly linux, however I have a dual boot that I use for games. Now, My deal is, I've got an NTFS partition that I would ideally like to see under both OSes. Works fine in Win2k (shock) but I can't even find it as a drive under Linux (running redhat 8 on this particular box). NTFS support is compiled in my kernel, I just can't mount the partition (mainly because it doesn't exist as far as linux is concerned o_O ) .

Fat32
 

fat32 support is availible in all Kernal distros, and has a much greater compatability level. You can convert the ntfs partition to fat32 easier than you think, and then the partition will be viewable under both unix/linux and mac environments. All around crosss compatability is always the way to go.

Yeah, be careful with Linux and NTFS...the NTFS isn't supported by default for a reason...something about the way Linux closes writes.

I disagree with the previous posters. Linux kernel NTFS support is great FOR READ-ONLY. Write support is experimental and will likely thrash your NTFS partition. arch13 makes a decent point about FAT32, but NTFS is far superior in my opinion.

So, if you only wish to view and copy files from that NTFS partition, you should be fine.

That said, it sounds like you are doing what you should be doing. What error message do you get when you try to mount your NTFS partition?

Haven't tried it yet: <a href="http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">linux-ntfs</a>.

1. less /proc/filesystems

If ntfs is listed, you have NTFS support. If not, go grab the appropriate RPM.
http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/info/redhat.html

2. Make a mount point.
mkdir /mnt/windows

3. mount -t ntfs -o ro /dev/hda? /mnt/windows

Replace hda? with the partition that is your ntfs partition. The "-o ro" means read-only. Don't use write support unless you absolutely have to (i.e. an emergency).

Re: Fat32
 

Just how do you convert NTFS to FAT32? I've always been under the impression that you can't do that without third party tools.

Ranish Partition manager and partition magic have experimental support (read:at your own risk), and some distros of linux support this experimintal capablity as well. (i'm think here of madrake corporate ed., which just recently began to toy with the concept.) Slashdot.com and forge also have some experimental RPM's availible.
But as always, BACK IT UP.

The problem is when I go to even list drives, it doesn't show up at all. There is no hdaX for it. So I can't add it to my devices or even begin to mount it. I tried mounting just a bunch of random hda devices to see if it just wasn't showing up in the drive manager utility but none of them worked.

Go to a command prompt and execute the following command as root:

fdisk -l /dev/hda

This is what I get on one of my systems:
Disk /dev/hda: 30.7 GB, 30750031872 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3738 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 13 104391 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 14 3681 29463210 83 Linux
/dev/hda3 3682 3738 457852+ 82 Linux swap

Granted, I don't have any non-Linux filesystems on this machine, but they will show up.

NTFS partitions will show up as NTFS or possible HPFS (old OS/2 filesystem that shares some heritage with NTFS).

I've converted my partitions to fat 32. When I list in Fdisk I get HDA 7 as being a FAT 32 partition.

This is my /etc/fstab
Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 255 2048256 b Win95 FAT32
/dev/hda2 256 5494 42082267+ f Win95 Ext'd (LBA)
/dev/hda5 256 2423 17414428+ 83 Linux
/dev/hda6 2424 2551 1028128+ 82 Linux swap
/dev/hda7 2552 5494 23639616 b Win95 FAT32

When I try and mount I get a fs type FAT32 not supported by kernel. I supposed I have to go back and check... I thought for sure I had FAT32 support also.

try vfat instead of fat32 ;)