[SOLVED] can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

[Rayson]

I have recent installs of 10.04 on two machines. Both are 64 bit machines. One is a desktop motherboard setup, the other is a HP DV-6-3010us. The partitions on both were set up using GParted. Both give me a mount: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab when I do a sudo mount –a.

Is this normal?

The details below relate to the desktop machine.
Results of sudo fdisk -l

~$ sudo fdisk -l

Disk /dev/sda: 500.1 GB, 500107862016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 60801 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x0005eb38

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/sda1 * 1 1020 8193118+ 83 Linux
/dev/sda2 1021 2932 15358140 83 Linux
/dev/sda3 2934 53033 402428250 83 Linux
/dev/sda4 53034 60801 62396429+ 5 Extended
/dev/sda5 53034 53670 5116671 82 Linux swap / Solaris
/dev/sda6 53671 60801 57279726 83 Linux

Results of sudo blkid

~$ sudo blkid
/dev/sda1: UUID="870c1fc7-7953-4e24-a7f7-1a4b50db8132" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda2: UUID="e386e029-b081-45e9-8838-e2e57c8add19" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda3: UUID="3611e022-e83c-4001-b340-fc54645c9254" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="a74417a2-9d2c-4ff0-930f-3d6a94a1738d" TYPE="swap"
/dev/sda6: LABEL="Image" UUID="dc47d6b7-74c3-4e9c-9f2d-419e87f64191" SEC_TYPE="ext2" TYPE="ext3"

Results of cat /etc/fstab -n

~$ cat /etc/fstab -n
1 # /etc/fstab: static file system information.
2 #
3 # Use 'blkid -o value -s UUID' to print the universally unique identifier
4 # for a device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name
5 # devices that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
6 #
7 # <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
8 proc /proc proc nodev,noexec,nosuid 0 0
9 /dev/sda2 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
10 # /home was on /dev/sda3 during installation
11 UUID=3611e022-e83c-4001-b340-fc54645c9254 /home ext4 defaults 0 2
12 # swap was on /dev/sda5 during installation
13 UUID=a74417a2-9d2c-4ff0-930f-3d6a94a1738d none swap sw 0 0

So what does can't find –a imply?

Thanks,

Ray

[Snowhog]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Why are you issuing the sudo mount -a command after booting? Your /etc/fstab has already mounted the devices specified.

[Rayson]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Actually I had made changes to the fstab of the HP laptop to add a FAT partition. Upon making changes to the fstab, I then did a sudo mount -a and noted the "can't find -a....." so I concluded something was wrong so I tried a sudo mount -a on the desktop to see how it responded.

Ray

[Snowhog]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Post the contents of the 'modified' fstab file, and identify the 'added' entry(ies) please.

[kubicle]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Looks to me like you're using a dash char (–) instead of a hyphen-minus char (-)
dash is slightly longer, and is not the same as hyphen.

sudo mount –a
(won't work)

sudo mount -a
(should work)

You can try copypasting both into a terminal.

[Snowhog]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Dang! You've got a better eye than I.

[Rayson]

Re: can't find –a in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

Both of you have better eyes than I! That was exactly the problem (dash instead of hyphen).

I cannot believe that I made this mistake - on both machines. Now the Fat is mounting properly on the laptop and I don't get "can't find -a..." on either machine.

Thanks so much!

ray