Mount Points Changing

[glyphe]

I have a dual-boot system with XP and have 6 different data partitions formated as FAT32 so I can access them from either Kubuntu or XP. I've had this same setup since Dapper and haven't had the problem I'm seeing. After I installed Hardy I go to System Administration -> Disks & Filesystems and I set all the mount points. Each one has a unique name; e.g. /media/Data, /media/Data2, /media/Financial, etc. I set everything and it works no problem. Except, that over the last few days after I power up the computer the mount points are scrambled. They are all still there, but now /media/Data might actually point to media/Financial. This messes up several scripts which are now going to the wrong mount point. When I change it back, it works fine again for anywhere from roughly 2-5 reboots, then it starts it again. Does anyone have any ideas?

My system is an AMD 64 X2 with a MSI mobo, I have a couple Samsung and one Hitachi hard drive. I don't really know where to start looking since it works for awhile before it starts to change. I don't really have a lot of time to try to troubleshoot this since if I can't get it working soon I need to reinstall Gutsy so I can get work done as I have deadlines that I can only push so far.

Thanks.

[dibl]

Re: Mount Points Changing

Yep, I know your problem. The solution is "Mount by UUID". The subtitle is "... and leave Disks and Filesystems closed from now on". Sorry -- I know that sounds pretty harsh, but the developers simply haven't put the priority on the "Systems Settings" modules that they should, if they're going to call it released software.

OK, so, I don't propose to provide a dissertation on "mount by UUID". I'll tell you what you need to do, and let you use your research capabilities to investigate any particular aspects of it that are a challenge for you.

1. In a Konsole window, use the commands

sudo fdisk -lu

and

sudo blkid

to learn exactly the device designation, filesystem types, and UUID numbers of each partition of your drives. Make notes or print it if necessary.

2. I take it that you have already made mount points in /media/xxxxxx such as /media/data_1 or /media/music or whatever, so those will work just fine.

3. Use Kate in Super User mode (kdesu kate) to edit your /etc/fstab file, and set it to mount each partition by UUID number. I'd tell you to back up your present /etc/fstab file first, but if it's all snarfed up already ......

HINT: Leave the console window in which you ran blkid open, and use the console "copy" and then "paste" in Kate to avoid messing up the UUID numbers. Just DON'T copy the "" marks that surround the UUID numbers in the console -- you don't want any of those in the fstab file.

I have commented my own rather complex /etc/fstab file to help me remember what the hell I have done in going from hard drive make and model to device designation to UUID number, so I will post it as an example, so you can see what a UUID mount line is supposed to look like. Emulate this with your fstab file and you will have a reliably booting system that never changes.

dibl@cville:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options>   <dump> <pass>
proc      /proc     proc  defaults    0   0
# /dev/sda1
UUID=909106df-3f64-48f7-9860-17e04ae0f734   /       ext3  noatime,errors=remount-ro 0   1
# /dev/sda2
UUID=8244ac7e-8dba-4e51-b252-3033c4c97ea4   /home     ext3  noatime,data=writeback    0 2
# WDC_WD1500ADFD-0-WD-WMAP41478339-part4, /dev/sda4
UUID=8bd15bd5-04df-437c-b5f8-25897e5ea7b0   /media/images xfs  noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=8  0 2
# WDC_WD1500ADFD-0-WD-WMAP41142727-part1, /dev/sdb1
UUID=1a1ffa9b-a8f6-43e9-bb1f-fbc32934018b   /media/disk0  ext3  auto,users,exec,noatime,data=writeback   0   2
# WDC_WD7500AAKS-0-WD-WCAPT0030245-part1, /dev/sdc1
UUID=92c0453f-2a35-40d5-8013-b8870ed66127   /media/backups xfs  noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=8  0 2
# WDC_WD7500AAKS-0-WD-WCAPT0030245-part2, /dev/sdc2
UUID=f4e36b39-af7d-475c-8990-b2093f558295   /media/music  xfs  noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=8  0 2
# WDC_WD7500AAKS-0-WD-WCAPT0030245-part3, /dev/sdc3
UUID=eba33247-0dbb-482c-9351-81505a953864   /media/videos xfs  noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=8  0 2
# WDC_WD1500AHFD-0-WD-WMAP41413403-part3, /dev/sdd2
UUID=5df77414-98e4-4241-b696-00001ad57fc9   /media/disk1  ext3  auto,users,exec,noatime,data=writeback   0   2
# WDC_WD1500AHFD-0-WD-WMAP41413403-part3, /dev/sdd3
UUID=e11635ae-7dae-45fa-9372-bdc70ef9ec6b   /media/disk2  ext3  auto,users,exec,noatime,data=writeback   0   2
# Maxtor_6L200P0-L42WA14G-part1, /dev/sde1
UUID=e731c3cf-e2ff-4692-8353-ede2a3dcb85e   /media/music_bak    xfs  noatime,nodiratime,logbufs=80   2
# /dev/sdd1
UUID=f292aef5-76a6-4455-a4e0-b760e43126e5 none      swap  sw       0   0
/dev/scd0   /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec,utf8 0   0
/dev/fd0    /media/floppy0 auto  rw,user,noauto,exec,utf8 0   0

[glyphe]

Re: Mount Points Changing

I'll give that a shot as soon as I get home tonight as I have a lot of work to do this weekend and having the computer working right would make my life a lot easier. Thanks.

[Fintan]

Re: Mount Points Changing

Emulate this with your fstab file and you will have a reliably booting system that never changes.

Well, it will change if you change partition sizes or repartition for some reason, in which case just remember to do the steps dible gave you to get your fstab back in order again.

UUID is a topic much discussed on this forum in the past and I won't go into it either :P

[dibl]

Re: Mount Points Changing

Well, it will change if you change partition sizes or repartition

Fintan speaks the truth, as always.

Partition first, set mount points and write fstab second.

Not the other way around .... :P

[nrikze]

Re: Mount Points Changing

Hi I have the same problem on my kubuntu hardy and have an additional question. Assigning mount points also scrambled up my mount points the next boot. I know where to mount my ntfs drive, but on the drive where kubuntu is installed there ware also some changes, and i don't know how these should be mounted.

I included a snapshot.

The root folder partition is mounted ok (\), but the other partitions of wich i don't know what they are for have changed (partition 3 and 5).

What are these partitions for and should they be mounted at all and how should they be mounted?

[dibl]

Re: Mount Points Changing

You need to open the /etc/fstab file and see whether there is a mount line for /dev/sdf1. If not, you need to make one. I recommend you use "Mount by UUID" as I described above. However, if you stay away from USB things, maybe you can get by with a mount line like this:

/dev/sdf1    /media/Nieuw      ext3  noatime,data=writeback     0  2

If you paste that into /etc/fstab, using Kate in root mode, then "save", you can close Kate, open a Konsole window, and issue

sudo mount -a

and it should be mounted.

[nrikze]

Re: Mount Points Changing

..OK, thanks, but is it necessary that these partitions are mounted. I suppose they have something to do with the way linux is set up, i never use these partitions (what are they for anyway?)

[dibl]

Re: Mount Points Changing

It is not mandatory to mount anything but "/" (and "swap" if you don't have a lot of memory). If you want access to the NTFS partition, then you have to mount it. No mount = no access.

[glyphe]

Re: Mount Points Changing

I just wanted to thank you for your assistance. Your advice was right on target and it solved that problem perfectly. However, I have had so many problems with 8.04 that I've given up and have reinstalled 7.10. I used to take problems as a challenge - now with kids I leave most of the computer challenges at work and need my home machine to just work