Please help me mount my data HD

[Mark Haney]

Karl Larsen wrote:
> Edgar Sarino wrote:
>> To ubuntu-users,
>>
>> Greetings.  I am new to ubuntu, but I thought that I would give it a try.
>>
>> I have a Dell Precision with two SCSI HDs - a 36 GB HD (onto which I installed ubuntu 8.04 LTS Desktop Edition) and a data 137 GB HD, which I left alone.  I thought that the installer would automatically reformat both drives - instead, it left the 137 GB HD alone, and when I try to access it or view it, I get an error message which states that the drive has the NTFS file system and is therefore umountable.
>>
>> Question: How do I reformat the drive, and/or make the drive mountable?
>>
>> Thanks for your attention to this matter.
>>
>>
>> - Edgar Sarino
>>
>>
>>       
>>
>>   
>     Well you need to make a partition on the 137 GB drive. If it was me 
> I would make several partitions and make partition 4 a Extended 
> partition. So to start make a partition large enough for your storage 
> needs.

Why do you suggest that?  Why 4 partitions?  Why not one?  He states 
he's new to Ubuntu so why confuse him? What is his storage needs?  You 
fail to explain how to make a partition that isn't the entire drive.
> 
>     You make the partitions with "fdisk" which you have on your Ubuntu. 
> It works like this:
> 
>     $ sudo fdisk -l
> 
> will list all the hard drives. Then use fdisk /dev/sdb if that is right, 
> and then make your partitions and make them Linux.


> 
>     Now you need to put a filesystem on the partition and that is done 
> like this:
> 
> $ sudo mkfs.ext3 /dev/sdb1 if it is the first partition on the second 
> hard drive. This will happen and then you can mount it to your Ubuntu to 
> use it.

Okay, but what about the other 3 partitions you had him put on there? 
What does he do with those?  You're /not/ going to just leave him with 
on formatted partition on that second drive are you?

Plus, how is ubuntu going to mount the drive (fine, partition)?  If it 
didn't see it correctly to begin with, it's not likely to be in 
/etc/fstab.  Or if it is, it'll be the wrong fstype (assuming it mounts 
the drive RO).

Karl, you only gave him hints on how to do things, and introduced 
variables he did NOT need (i.e. the 4 partitions).  You are making this 
relatively simple procedure an order of magnitude more complicated.

Please, unless you can give /complete/ detailed (or semi-detailed) 
instructions, DON'T GIVE INSTRUCTIONS.

I'm asking nicely.


> 


-- 
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Mark Haney
Sr. Systems Administrator
ERC Broadband
(828) 350-2415

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