Hardware:Configuration:Floppy:SuSE

Dell Latitude Cpx
500Mh prosessor
128 Mb RAM
20Gb hard drives
Duel boot Windows 2000pro and SuSE 8.1 pro

Hi
I am having trouble mounting the floppy drive on my laptop.
I have a inter changeable media bay that allows me to swap the CD drive for a floppy drive the problem is although I can save to floppy if I use Kwrite, I can not mount an icon on the desktop, or use the floppy to save Open Office documents.

Here what I have tried so far, I first swap the CD bay for the Floppy drive and then boot up, I then log on as root, then enter this command in Konsole,
/dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 00

The reply I receive is this,
linux:~ # /dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 0 0
bash: /dev/fd0: Permission denied

And if I just try, mount /floppy I receive this,
linux:~ # mount /floppy
mount: can't find /floppy in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

I have also tried using these commands in user, with same result.
Any suggestions would be very welcome .

It's probably /mnt/floppy.

mount /mnt/floppy

Post the contents of your /etc/fstab file.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Bold Jim
then enter this command in Konsole,
/dev/fd0 /floppy auto user,noauto 00

---

That line isn't a command that can be executed at the prompt; that's the entry that you would have in /etc/fstab for your floppy. You're getting the error because the shell thinks you want to run the command /dev/fd0, which, of course, isn't a command at all.

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bold Jim
And if I just try, mount /floppy I receive this,
linux:~ # mount /floppy
mount: can't find /floppy in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

---

Serz is probably right about this one- you don't have a /floppy directory. Check to see if a /mnt/floppy directory exists. If so, use that in your mount command instead. Also look in your /etc/fstab file, an entry for the floppy should have been automagically created when you installed the OS.

Ok here are the contents of the fstab file
/dev/hda3 / reiserfs defaults 1 1
/dev/hda1 /windows/C vfat users,gid=users,umask=0002,iocharset=iso8859-1,code=437 0 0
/dev/hda2 swap swap pri=42 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs noauto 0 0
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0
/dev/sr0 /media/sr0 auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0 #HOTPLUG B3Fu.Ps_7t2s11wC


I can see my CD ROM drive the USB CDR drive but I can no mention of a floppy drive, as I used the CD drive to install SuSE, I think the OS does not reconise it.

Add

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto user,noauto 0 0

to /etc/fstab.

Ensure that /media/floppy exists as that is the default mountpoint that SuSE uses though it may not if your floppy drive was not detected during the installation.

See if

dmesg | grep fd0

gives you a response such as

Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M

Hi
I do get Floppy drive(s): fd0 is 1.44M, but I can not seem to enter command into the fstab file even in root, the cursor just blinks at me.

:confused:

Hmm, how are you doing this?

Quote:

---

Originally posted by serz
Hmm, how are you doing this?

---

to add to that what text editor are you using? eg vi, kate

/etc/fstab is just a plain-text file; it can be opened and edited in any text editing program. If you're working from the command line, use vi/emacs/pico/etc.; if you're in the GUI use any of the graphical text editing programs that SuSE provides.

Quote:

---

Ensure that /media/floppy exists

---

Shouldn't that be /mnt/floppy?

Try:

> pico /etc/fstab

You must be root to do this.

James

Quote:

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Shouldn't that be /mnt/floppy?

---

SUSE uses /media instead of /mnt for its removable media directory.


Bold Jim
You have to be root to edit anything in /etc. All of the methods described opening a console window. Logging in as root via su and using a console text editor to modify the file.

I bet your just clicking on the file in Konqueror or other browser which doesn't open the file for writing. To open a file for writing in Konqueror right click on the file and select open with. Then select a text editor.

Hi Guys

Sorry to take so long to answer, yesterday was not a good day.

Michaelk, you were right I was just clicking on the file, I have not tried you advice yet but I will, and post the result as soon as I have.

Thank you for all for the trouble you have taken.

Tis me again
All I can say is ARRRRRRG I enterd the command in the fstab using kwrite, saved then tried to mount the floppy using the command, mount -t auto /dev/fd0 /floppy as recomended in the posts, all I get mount point not found, but as soon as I open kwrite the floppy drive mounts, boy am I confused.
Sujestions please, ones that dont incuded throwing my laptop out the window.

Since you are using SuSE and as posted above, /media/floppy is the correct mountpoint.

ls -al /media

(look for floppy)

Hi
I enterd the find command and recived this.


jima@linux:~> ls -al /media
total 0
drwxr-xr-x 5 root root 120 2003-08-26 17:06 .
drwxr-xr-x 20 root root 456 2003-09-13 14:07 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 2002-09-13 00:14 cdrom
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 2002-09-13 00:14 floppy
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 48 2003-08-26 17:06 sr0
jima@linux:~>

As I understand it I have a floppy drive, so why can't I mount it,fedup and confused

Quote:

---

Originally posted by Bold Jim

As I understand it I have a floppy drive, so why can't I mount it,fedup and confused

---

Because you are not using the correct mountpoint?

For a dos/win formatted diskette that is inserted in the drive

mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /media/floppy

For a ext2 (Linux) formatted diskette that is inserted in the drive.

mount -t ext2 /dev/fd0 /media/floppy

umount /media/floppy (before removing the diskette)

Tis me again
I have been to bed for a hour, when I got up,
I tried,mount -t auto /dev/fd0 /media/floppy, as root,
this worked fine,now all I have to do get it to work in user.

Never mind, I am off to Linux classes for the hard of thinking, next month,
so hopefully I whon't bother you guys so much.

Thanks for your help
:p

Have a look through the mount manpage (man mount) for the user/users option you add to the floppy mountpoint in /etc/fstab.

Searching the JL forums for 'floppy mount permission' or 'floppy mount user' should find other threads on the same topic.

A sample /etc/fstab entry which will allow non-root users to access the floppy:

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto noauto,user 0 0


The user option is what allows a non-root user to mount/unmount removable media such as floppies, CD-ROMs, Zip disks, etc. The "users" option is another slight variation; read the mount man page for a description of the difference betwen the two.

A further breakdown on the options:

auto - automatically detect the format of the floppy (msdos, ext2, etc.)

noauto - do not automatically probe for and attempt to mount removable media at bootup. Since you probably won't usually have a floppy, CD-ROM, etc. inserted when you boot, this option speeds up the boot process a bit by bypassing the check for those disks.

Even if bold jim entered the correct line in the /etc/fstab he still will not be able to mount the floppy by specifing a filesystem type. At least it doesn't work on my PC's.

The user just uses the mount /media/floppy or mount /dev/fd0 ( in this case) command.

Quote:

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Originally posted by michaelk
Even if bold jim entered the correct line in the /etc/fstab he still will not be able to mount the floppy by specifing a filesystem type. At least it doesn't work on my PC's.

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?? It's always worked on my machines... as long as I use the correct syntax ;)

Yes Yes O Yes
Success at last, I cam mount an icon on the desktop as user and read, & write to floppy.
Sorry to be over the top but it has taken me three months(on and of)trying.

Thank you all for all your help I have included my fstab so anyone, who does a shearch in the futcher can read it
/dev/hda3 / reiserfs defaults 1 1
/dev/hda1 /windows/C vfat users,gid=users,umask=0002,iocharset=iso8859-1,code=437 0 0
/dev/hda2 swap swap pri=42 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts mode=0620,gid=5 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs noauto 0 0
/dev/cdrom /media/cdrom auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto rwx,noauto,user,exec 0 0
/dev/sr0 /media/sr0 auto ro,noauto,user,exec 0 0 #HOTPLUG B3Fu.Ps_7t2s11wC:D :D

I am glad you were able to mount your floppy drive:)

and your welcome

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