[xubuntu-users] Can't set permissions on a folder on an external drive on 14.04

[Stephen Michael Kellat]

On Wed, 15 Oct 2014, Fred Roller wrote:

> Date: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 21:44:03 -0400
> From: Fred Roller <fredroller66 at gmail.com>
> Reply-To: Xubuntu Support and User Discussions
>     <xubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com>
> To: xubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> Subject: Re: [xubuntu-users] Can't set permissions on a folder on an external
>     drive on 14.04
> 
> On 10/15/2014 08:44 PM, Anthony Papillion wrote:
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> I have a USB thumb drive that has a folder who's permission I need to
> set to 744. Let's say the folder is named folder1. I issued the
> following command from the terminal:
> 
> sudo chmod 744 folder1
> 
> This has NO EFFECT on the folder permissions.
> 
> I've also tried
> 
> sudo chmod -R 744 folder1
> 
> THAT has no effect either.
> 
> Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
> 
> Anthony
> 
> is your prompt in the relative folder?  if the absolute path is /home/user/folder1 then your prompt should
> be in /home/user otherwise you should use the absolute path.  If you are not sure of the absolute path then
> cd into the "folder1" and issue the command:
>       pwd
> 
> 
> which will give you what you want.  Just for posterity and to make sure things are working on your system
> issue the chmod command with the absolute path:
>
>       sudo chmod 744 /absolute/path/to/folder1
> 
> 
> and see if it works.  If you are in the relative folder then:
>
>       sudo chmod 744 ./folder1
> 
> 
> should work as well. HIH.
> 
> -- 
> - Fred
> 
> "Only those who can see the invisible 
> can accomplish the impossible." - Anonymous
> 
>

How is the drive formatted?  If the partition on it is FAT32 the setting 
of permissions via chmod may not necessarily work in the fashion desired.

Stephen Michael Kellat
Member, Xubuntu Docs/Xubuntu Team