Mounting problem

[steve7233]

I need to mount a usb external drive but I can't find /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab. Did ubuntu change things in 15.10? info mount still says to use /etc fstab or /etc/mtab.

[Snowhog]

fstab is located in /etc.

[steve7233]

Not there!

[Snowhog]

Are you booting off of/running from a Live CD/DVD/USB? When you install from same, an fstab file is created and located in /etc

[steve7233]

I was running dolphin as the super user and typed left ALT = left . to reveal hidden files but apparently that doesn’t work for fstab and mtab. I exited dolphin and tried pico /etc/fstab but no such package so I tried nano and it displayed a blank file. i tried mtab and that file has all the drives but it still won't mount correctly. I have to drives with the following partition names Steam for Linux and Steam for Linux1 maybe then length is the problem. I suspect the sorting program may simply not go out that far. I will try deleting the new partition later and recreating it using a name that is more unique in the first few letters instead of just the last letter and see if that helps. Seems Like every time I want to add another Steam library, it takes a while to figure out.

= is supposed to be a +. I forgot to to use the shift key.

[Snowhog]

Not there!

Sorry, but is is/must be, else you wouldn't be able to boot.

Open a console. Type the following command: ls -la /etc | grep fstab


Press Enter.

You should see:

-rw-rw-r- - 1 root root 731 Dec 17 16:42 fstab

The number/date/time info might be different; the above is from my 16.04 system; but fstab will show. IF IT REALLY DOESN'T, then type:

sudo find / -name fstab

Press Enter.

You should see:

/usr/share/doc/util-linux/examples/fstab
/usr/share/doc/mount/examples/fstab
/etc/fstab

IF YOU DON'T SEE THIS, something is seriously wrong with your system!

[steve7233]

As I said I found it but dolphin apparently can display it also fstab was empty apprently 15.10 only uses mtab.

[Snowhog]

Not intending to be pushy or arrogant steve, but you're wrong.

mtab only shows you already mounted partitions; it does not provide any information to the kernel during booting as to what partitions to mount; that is the job of fstab. Please read the man pages for both.

Googled a bit on this though, and there is maybe one possibility that 'may' explain your sitution; maybe.

What is in /etc/systemd/ and, is there a file called system there, and if 'yes', what does it contain?

[steve7233]

steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$ ls /etc/systemd/
bootchart.conf journald.conf logind.conf network resolved.conIt appears to be an empty file. If mtab only shows what is mounted then why does fstab appear to be empty?f system system.conf timesyncd.conf user user.conf
steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$

I must have typed it in wrong the other day because now fstab shows stuff Sorry I should have said it appears not to be there instead of just saying Not there in my previous post. Any way...

steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$ ls -la /etc | grep fstab
-rw-rw-r--   1 root     root        732 Jul 19  2015 fstab
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      12288 Jun 24  2015 .fstab.swo
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      12288 Jun 24  2015 .fstab.swp
steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$

[vinnywright]

steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$ ls /etc/systemd/
bootchart.conf journald.conf logind.conf network resolved.conf system system.conf timesyncd.conf user user.conf
steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$
It appears to be an empty file. If mtab only shows what is mounted then why does fstab appear to be empty?

since your posting output's now,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,go back to post #6 and post the outputs of those commands for the heck of it ,,,,,,,will ya

are you the steve7233 I remember from the old Ultimalinux day's ?

VINNY

[steve7233]

I have to rebbot to see if I solved it. Yes vinney brb.

[vinnywright]

so now that you found /etc/fstab ,,,,,,,,,,,,,are you good ?

VINNY

[Snowhog]

steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$ ls -la /etc | grep fstab
-rw-rw-r--   1 root     root        732 Jul 19  2015 fstab
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      12288 Jun 24  2015 .fstab.swo
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      12288 Jun 24  2015 .fstab.swp
steve7233@steve7233-EP45-UD3P:~$

What the heck are .fstab.swo and .fstab.swp? What weirdness have you done with your system?

Googling on .fstab.swo and .fstab.swp I found fstab edit and saving problem over on Ubuntu Forums. That you have these two files, and that you say your /etc/fstab file is empty, I'd say that that posting/thread is spot on with what you have here.

[steve7233]

It didn't post my last comment. Maybe I forgot to click post reply.
I thought I had it solved but it boots s read only but I copied the previous drive so why read only unless I made another typo and haven't spotted it yet?

## Steam for Linux1 drive - /dev/sdd1
UUID=11e097bc-6a05-4770-876a-324d35b5947b /media/steve7233/Steam\040for\040Linux1 ext4 rw,relatime 0 2

@ Vinney, yes.

[steve7233]

That's what #9 is.