Gaining privileges to copy files in Kubuntu from a HD [USB mounted] with Ubuntu on it

[aria]

My old computer (with Ubuntu 12.04) broke. In order to save the files in its home directory, to a working computer (with Kubuntu 12.04), I took the HD down from the broken computer, and mounted it in a SATA to USB box. Now I can access it from the working computer, but cannot copy some files because of laking some privileges. Even in the administrative account, with all privileges checked in, I still cannot copy all files from the USB mounted HD.

When checked the special privileges on the USB mounted HD for the files and folders I couldn't copy, it was checked in only the owner (other groups and other accounts were unchecked even for reading). Tried to change this options, but didn't work.

Is there a way to win administrative privileges over the old Ubuntu system (now USB mounted) to get access to all files and folders in its home directory? I cannot boot the working computer from this USB drive, as the machines are totally different (different CPU, GPU, screen sizes, etc.), although I would have solved this issue already.

Thanks,

[claydoh]

My old computer (with Ubuntu 12.04) broke. In order to save the files in its home directory, to a working computer (with Kubuntu 12.04), I took the HD down from the broken computer, and mounted it in a SATA to USB box. Now I can access it from the working computer, but cannot copy some files because of laking some privileges. Even in the administrative account, with all privileges checked in, I still cannot copy all files from the USB mounted HD.

When checked the special privileges on the USB mounted HD for the files and folders I couldn't copy, it was checked in only the owner (other groups and other accounts were unchecked even for reading). Tried to change this options, but didn't work.

Is there a way to win administrative privileges over the old Ubuntu system (now USB mounted) to get access to all files and folders in its home directory?

One way is to change the file permissions of the directories you want would be to do it from a terminal:

sudo chown -R <username>:username /media/some-usb-drive/home/some-account-name

this will change the ownership of the home dir and all the contents on the usb drive to the user and group of your username in Kubuntu.

One can open Dolphin using kdesudo and browse to the folder, right-click it and change ownerships there, but I have seen the file manager hang or choke if there is a huge amount of files and folders to change

I cannot boot the working computer from this USB drive, as the machines are totally different (different CPU, GPU, screen sizes, etc.), although I would have solved this issue already.

You might be pleasantly surprised if you had tried this. Not a 100% guarantee, but there would have been a nice chance that it would have booted.

[aria]

Thanks claydoh,
Worked with "kdesudo dolphin". Somehow slow on folders with huge number of files, like you mentioned it, but reliable.
Thank you very much,

[rybnik]

I actually had the same problem when I reinstalled the OS recently. I got around it by using

sudo cp /home /media/foldername

in terminal instead of copying folders graphically. But "kdesudo dolphin" is clever--I wish I had thought of that!