For Nils who has helped me or any other expert, and Nubies like me.

[Steven Vollom]

Nils Kassube wrote:
> Steven Vollom wrote:
>   
>> Recently, you, Nils, helped me with a problem where I had a partition
>> owned by Root.  I did not know how to access that partition to use it
>> for storage so you gave me the following instruction:
>> _______________________________________________________________________
>>
>> (An example of why I get screwed up.)  I am going to cut and paste a
>> comment I made to you.
>>
>> I just did what you instructed and here is what happened:
>>     
>>>>> steven at Studio25:~$ sudo mkdir /media/sdb5/$USER
>>>>> [sudo] password for steven:
>>>>> steven at Studio25:~$ sudo chown $USER /media/sdb5/$USER
>>>>> steven at Studio25:~$
>>>>>
>>>>> What did I just do?
>>>>>           
>> (By the way thank you for the word prepend, never heard it before but
>> like it very much)
>>     
>
> That's what you get when you have to look up words in the dictionary. 
> Sometimes the words are not often used, but the dictionary doesn't 
> mention that detail :)
>
>   
>> Is this a proper translation for what I wrote in the first line of
>> instruction?  'sudo' (give me root ability) '/mkdir' (to make a
>> directory [or folder]) '/media' (in the media folder) '/sdb5' (of the
>> partition sdb5[or does this mean the folder, sdb5) '/$USER' (and the
>> folder created is a directory named steven)?
>>     
>
> Apart from the typo '/mkdir' instead of 'mkdir', it is the directory (or 
> folder) "/media/sdb5", not the partition. IMHO, that is a minor detail 
> which isn't really that important for a normal user, but I'll explain it 
> anyway. The partition is a so called device named "/dev/sdb5". As a 
> normal user you can't access the partition (the device) directly. Instead 
> there is a file system on the partition (made by the format command or 
> qtparted, gparted etc.). That file system is then mounted to the 
> (automatically created) directory "/media/sdb5". As a normal user you can 
> only access files or directories of a mounted file system. I hope this 
> explanation isn't too confusing.
>
>   
>> The second line, I assume, is where I typed in my password.
>>     
>
> Right.
>
>   
>> Is this a proper translation for what is said in line 3:  Give me the
>> Root permission to change the owner from root to user in the steven
>> directory of the sdb5 partition of the media folder of my home
>> directory?
>>     
>
> That's correct (well it is directory instead of partition - see above).
>
>   
>> If correct, I may understand something now.
>>     
>
> Yes, obviously you understand what's going on. If you want to learn more 
> about the command line and basics of the hardware, you may have a look at 
> the rutebook package. After you have installed that package you can start 
> reading with the file "/usr/share/doc/rutebook/html/index.html". I think 
> it explains those things much better than I can.
>
>   
>> Nils.  I keep my short-cuts to packages that I use often on the top of
>> my Desktop.  Among the Icons that represent those packages is an Icon
>> 'SYSTEM MENU Menu of Important System Places'  when I click on it, it
>> opens Dolphin with a list of my Partitions.  I use this Short-cut every
>> time I want to get to a specific partition, or to enter Dolphin.  I do
>> not enter any of those folders or storage areas any other way.
>>
>> Is there an easier or faster way?
>>     
>
> How about a direct shortcut for a specific directory? I can only explain 
> it for Ubuntu 8.04 because I don't have a spare machine to play with the 
> 8.10 LiveCD right now. But I suppose / hope it is similar with 8.10.
>
> You can navigate to the directory above the wanted one with Dolphin and 
> then drag the icon for the wanted directory to the desktop. Attention: In 
> the dialog select "Link here" and NOT "Copy here".
>
>   
>> When I open that short-cut, on the left of the window is a row of
>> Bookmarks.  Currently my list is as follows:
>> 1) Home, 2) Storage Media, 3) Users' Folders, 4) Root, 5) sda7, 6)
>> Completed Downloads.
>>
>> The first five are self-explanatory, the sixth is a folder in sda5.  I
>> use each title as a short-cut to what I want.  How do I change the name
>> of a title in Bookmarks to make it understandable to another user? 
>> sda7 contains movies.  How could I change the sda 7 Bookmark to
>> [Movies]?
>>     
>
> Right click on the bookmark and select "Edit". And if you want to change 
> the name of an icon on your desktop, right click on the icon and 
> select "Rename". Then you can enter the name you want to have for the 
> icon. I think that should also answer the other the questions which I 
> didn't quote.
>
>
> Nils
>
>   
Dear Nils,

You would love to see what happened.  I have been wanting to know how to 
do that for as long as I have used Kubuntu.  I just wasn't smart enough 
to ask the question.  I am still laughing.  Nothing funny just sheer 
joy.  I had to use something to dry my eyes, it made me so happy I 
teared.  Probably a silly little thing to a guru, but to someone who has 
trouble remembering what these new terms mean, it allows me to know, 
while I am still not too bright.  I am still laughing.  Thank you so 
very much.  I am sure this will read well for a Newbie from Windows.  
Most cordially,

Steven