eSata/Ubuntu 8.1/ can't mount external drive

Diss · 21 Nov 2008 at 21:28

hi
i have an external drive connected to Ubuntu 8.1 by eSATA (eSATA works fine on this hardware under vista as its a dual boot setup)

however - in ubuntu i get the disk icon in the panel at the top of the screen but if i click on it and choose mount i won't and i get an error message saying "cannot mount volume" and

$logfile indicates unclean shutdown (0,0) failed to mount '/dev/sdb1' : Operation not supported Mount denied because NTFS is marked to be in use..........

Any idea how to fix this?

thanks

brummie · 21 Nov 2008 at 21:55

sudo mkdir /media/drive
sudo mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdb1 /media/drive -o force

the drive will then be accessible in /media/drive directory

Diss · 22 Nov 2008 at 07:13

thanks brummie

do i need to do this everytime iwant to use it - is there anyway to automate it so that it mounts as soon as i switch it on?

cheers

diss

tntcoder · 22 Nov 2008 at 13:27

/etc/fstab handles drive auto-mounting.

Edit the file and add this line:
/dev/sdb1 /media/drive ntfs-3g defaults,uid=X 0 0

Replace X with your username, and it 'should' mount on boot

brummie · 22 Nov 2008 at 22:27

Diss said:
thanks brummie

do i need to do this everytime iwant to use it - is there anyway to automate it so that it mounts as soon as i switch it on?

cheers

diss

Its because you didnt shut down windows properly when the drive was used in windows.
Boot into windows with the drive attached and shutdown.
Next time in linux it should be in theory ok.

Diss · 24 Nov 2008 at 20:16

thanks all

sorry for delay in replying - been away over the weekend

i went back into vista and did as suggested and it worked.... BUT

it only works if the drive is turned on - if i turn it on after ubuntu has booted nothing happens and sudo mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdb1 /media -o force doesn't do anything

how do i find out if its sdb1 or sdb1 or whatever?

can i get it to work that it mounts (or at leasts appears in the panel with the option to mount) if n it on after ubuntu has booted

many thanks

diss

brummie · 24 Nov 2008 at 22:23

sudo mount -a

will mount everything if its isnt mounting at boot time!

If you set it as a static boot and it isn't on or plugged in then your OS will complain.
Is it always plugged in and on?
If it is then do as tntcoder posted