permissions with usb flash stick

[glas]

I have files I want to move from one computer to another and intended on using a usb flash stick to accomplish it.

However only the 'owner' is allowed to modify files on the flash stick.

Apparently I'm not the owner and am shut out.

Anyone know how I can get around this impasse?

[diskmusic]

Make yourself Root by opening console>su>password
Then type konqueror, when konqueror has opened go to system:/media and right click on your usb stick. click on Properties.
Select the Permissions tab. Change the field owner, group and others in "can view & modify content". Do not set UID,GID or Sticky.
Go back to console and type exit

[glas]

Thanks for the response diskmusic.

I followed your directions. The problem is when I right click > properties on the usb stick icon I get 3 tabs to choose from:

general
meta info
mounting

none of which allows me to alter permissions.

However when I right click > properties on other partition icons the permissions tab present and I can alter permissions like you suggest.

Unfortunately that doesn't help me to make the usb stick accessable.

When I try to drag and copy files into the usb stick via the root konquerer I get the message:

kded: ERROR: mounting /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/volume_uuid_E0FD_1813 returned
hal-storage-removable-mount refused uid 0

can anyone make sense of ths?

[diskmusic]

Before you used the console did you make sure your usb stick was mounted?

[glas]

OK, I'm halfway to solving the problem - but only half way.

I right clicked on the desktop usb flash stick icon and realised that I hadn't 'mounted' it. So i mounted it and redid the su - konqueror suggestion. This time I get a permissions tab but it won't let change permissions with the box stating:

Could not change permissions for /media/sda1

Doesn't give a reason.

A bit like dealing with a bureaucrat!

[glas]

Did I use the konsole?

Just to open the konqueror in root

I know of the 'chown' command but am not to the point of knowing what arguments to get it to alter permission. I remember trying to memorize it ages ago but it's not very straight forward from my recollection.

Knoppix has a much more simple method with permissions. Right click and your simply given the options.

[diskmusic]

It should work here the same way!
Maybe this can help
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chown

[glas]

Well after re-examining the chown --help file i tried this:

pardus media # chown glasiad /media/sda1
chown: changing ownership of `/media/sda1': Read-only file system

'glasiad' is my home username

but now when I try to copy a fie to it I get:

Could not write to /media/sda1/(audio book) Michel Thomas

OK, now I 'own' it - but still can't write to it.

[diskmusic]

It is a gamble!
Click Pardus>Computer>Tasma.
Chose system>user manager select "glasiad" click tab edit.
Check the boxes, for if you have the rights for removable media, etc.

[Jan Gnodde]

Another suggestion: some USB-sticks have a little switch with which you can "lock" the stick (make it read-only).
Did you look at the switch on your USB-stick (if any...)?

Jan.

[glas]

I finally resorted to booting up in a Knoppix live CD to transfer my audio files from a Pardus partition on my laptop to a usgb flash stick and back to my desktop Pardus partition.

Of course I would have prefered to do this without resorting to Knoppix but couldn't find a way around the restrictive permissions inherent in Pardus.

This is a problem I've encountered in other Linux distrobutions. It seems like a hang over of Coldwar Unix operating systems that had multiple users and one central administrator. Appropriate for the time and context perhaps, but hopelessly outdated for desktop computers where there is rarely more than  one user.

When you think about it, why make its impossible (or very difficult) to copy files to a usb flash stick? What's the use of a flash stick if you can't write to it?

I hope Pardus developers will take this into account when configuring permissions for future releases - and bring this otherwise great operating system into the 21st century.

[diskmusic]

I am glad for you glas that you found a way out of your predicament!

Your conclusion that it does not work because of "the restrictive permissions inherent in Pardus" evades me.
My experiences with Pardus is that the restrictions inherent in it, achieve the security of the computer and does not compromise the docking of USB removable storage devices.
I have found no difficulties in switching different kinds of USB removable storage devices between the desktop and laptop I work with.

To list some combinations;

USB harddisk with NTFS format
USB harddisk with XFS format
USB stick 1 GB with Fat16 format
USB cardreader CF/MD, SM, SD/MMC/etc, MS pro/etc

May I suggest that you try out a different brand of USB flash stick(Fat16) to exclude hardware incompatibility.

[glas]

For information:

The usb flash stick in question has a vfat file system.

My question is:

If Knoppix Live  and Wndows Xp can read and write to this usb flash stick without problem - why can't Pardus?

With regards to mounting and copying files from one partition to another on the hard disk, Pardus performs very well.

[diskmusic]

Short for Virtual File Allocation Table, a virtual installable files system driver used in Windows for Work groups and Windows 95. VFAT operates in protected mode and serves as an interface between applications and the File Allocation Table (FAT).

The art of computing is often to bend with the system and not get caught in that what you cannot change.
In your case if it would do no harm to your stick or the content it holds choose for a format like FAT16 that is compatible for Pardus as well as XP.

additional http://www.os2voice.org/VNL/past_issues/VNL0305H/vnewsf5.htm

[msullivan]

All of the usb storage devices that I use give ownership to the user logged in at the time they are mounted with the group listed as Root.  I'm not sure why your flash drive is different.  The chown command you already tried should have given you permission to read,  write and execute any file on your flash drive.  The only other suggestion I can think of is to try the chmod command to change permissions for all users.  You can do this by openning a terminal,  typing "su" then your root password.  Then,  with the usb flash drive mounted,  type "chmod a+r+w+x /media/sda1".  This should give all users (a) read (+r),  write (+w),  and execute (+x) permissions for the device /media/sda1.  I'm not sure why it doesn't already work,  but this should make it work.  Good Luck!

Marty