Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

[Gumper]

I just picked up a 500g external USB hard drive to backup files in both my linux and windows partitions. I'm planning on doing all the backups through Kubuntu using Grsync. Would this be possible to do? Also, I haven't opened up the box yet that the drive came in, but I'm assuming that it must be formatted prior to using. If so, what would be the best file system to format it to? FAT, NTFS, etc.

Thank

[Snowhog]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

As to format. I'd suggest that you partition it into two (250G for each partition) and then format one as NTFS (if your Windoze is XP or higher) and the other as ext3 for your Linux backups. If you only want to use a single format, use FAT32, as that format can be read and written to by either OS.

[txHarleyMan]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

I have a Seagate 750gb external usb hard drive and I use Grsync myself to backup. I run XP inside a virtual machine ( Virtualbox ) as a guest with Linux being the host. So my entire external hard drive is formatted ext3. When I backup, my VM gets backed up as well.

[Gumper]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

Right now I just left it as it was from the box. FAT32.

Could you tell me what is the proper way to mount this drive. Right now I have it connected full time to an open USB port. Do I need to do anything else to mount the drive correctly? What about when i shut my system down? Do I need to unmount it first?

I'm able to access the drive but I just want to make sure I'm doing things correctly.

[Snowhog]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If you can access the HD, then you are doing 'everything' correctly.

You don't have to unmount the HD before shutting down.

[Gumper]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If you can access the HD, then you are doing 'everything' correctly.

You don't have to unmount the HD before shutting down.

What do I need to do to mount the drive automatically? Right now when I power up the drive isn't mounted until I click on it in Dolphin. When I do this my cpu usage goes to 100% for at least a minute and I have a message at the bottom of Dolphin that says "getting size". What's that all about?

[Snowhog]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If you intend to keep the HD attached, then you can create a mount point under /media, called say, 500G, and then include a line in /etc/fstab for this drive. To create the mount point, open a console and type:

sudo mkdir /media/500G

Access the HD so that it mounts. Then in the console type:

sudo fdisk -l

Copy and paste the output. I'll be able to provide you with the line to add to your /etc/fstab file so that the HD will mount when you boot your system.

[Gumper]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If you intend to keep the HD attached, then you can create a mount point under /media, called say, 500G, and then include a line in /etc/fstab for this drive. To create the mount point, open a console and type:

sudo mkdir /media/500G

Access the HD so that it mounts. Then in the console type:

sudo fdisk -l

Copy and paste the output. I'll be able to provide you with the line to add to your /etc/fstab file so that the HD will mount when you boot your system.

Thanks for offering to help Snowhog. Right now auto mounting isn't that critical. What I'm more concerned about is that when I power my computer down the drive is supposed to shutdown. This doesn't work. It works in XP after changing a bios setting, but it will not work in Kubuntu. What happens is that the USB port is always active, even after shutting down. To kill it completely I need to turn off the main power switch on the PSU. What a pain. From searching around it appears to be a kernal problem.

[Snowhog]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If I understand what you are saying, when you perform a normal logoff/shutdown, the USB drive is still 'powered.' This is actually normal. The shutdown process in Kubuntu is not actually a 'power off' routine. It is litterally, a shutdown of the running OS. The PC remains powered, and any peripheral hardware connected to the USB ports that draws power from those ports, will of course, remain 'on.'

There is a way to edit the specific controlling file so that instead of just shutting down the OS, it will actually perform a system power off once the OS is shut down.

[Gumper]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

If I understand what you are saying, when you perform a normal logoff/shutdown, the USB drive is still 'powered.' This is actually normal. The shutdown process in Kubuntu is not actually a 'power off' routine. It is litterally, a shutdown of the running OS. The PC remains powered, and any peripheral hardware connected to the USB ports that draws power from those ports, will of course, remain 'on.'

There is a way to edit the specific controlling file so that instead of just shutting down the OS, it will actually perform a system power off once the OS is shut down.

The change that you mentioned, does that involve changing the kernel? I saw that mentioned over in the Ubuntu forums.

[Snowhog]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

It may be simpler than you think. Open K Menu | System Settings | Advanced | Session Manager
Under Default Shutdown Option select Turn off computer

See if this doesn't actually turn off your computer on a shutdown.

[Gumper]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

It may be simpler than you think. Open K Menu | System Settings | Advanced | Session Manager
Under Default Shutdown Option select Turn off computer

See if this doesn't actually turn off your computer on a shutdown.

Hi Snowhog,

I tried this last night and I got the same results. The USB port is still active. Maybe I have to change my BIOS setting as well before this will work. I just recently cleared the CMOS for my machine, so I'm sure my BIOS settings have changed.

[Nyad]

Re: Using external h.d. with Kubuntu

Hi. I installed kubuntu on my external HD. I want to be able to take it around, plug into a pc, liek say at varsity and boot
off of it so that I have kinda like a mobile pc.

How do I do this? I tried but for some reason I can't boot off of my external HD