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> Making the memory stick accessible to users</TITLE
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>10. Making the memory stick accessible to users</H1
><P
>
What we have described so far, are simply the procedures of setting
up the system and formatting memory sticks. We have to make the
mounting of the USB filesystem more permanent, and we have to make
mounting of such a device easier for non-root users. There are
only a few things to be done.
</P
><P
> The procedure described below is for the more complex situation of
a memory stick with a dual partition (<A
HREF="mixed.html"
>Section 9</A
>). If
the partition is a single ext2, the procedure should be simplified
by leaving out the line referring to the vfat part and changing
<TT
CLASS="filename"
>sda2</TT
> to <TT
CLASS="filename"
>sda1</TT
>.
</P
><P
>
Suppose that the mount points <TT
CLASS="filename"
> /mnt/memstick</TT
>
and <TT
CLASS="filename"
> /mnt/fatstick</TT
> have been created. You do
not have to use those words and they don't even have to be
sub-directories of <TT
CLASS="filename"
> /mnt</TT
>
</P
><P
>
To make remembering easier, create the following symbolic links:
</P
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CLASS="screen"
>
<TT
CLASS="prompt"
>#</TT
> <TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
>ln</B
> -s /dev/sda1 /dev/fatflash</B
></TT
>
<TT
CLASS="prompt"
>#</TT
> <TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
>ln</B
> -s /dev/sda2 /dev/flash</B
></TT
>
</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
>
For smoother and easier mounting add the following lines to
<TT
CLASS="filename"
> /etc/fstab</TT
> : (<EM
> See NOTE at the end of
</EM
> <A
HREF="verifications.html#mounting"
>Section 7.3</A
> )</P
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> none /proc/bus/usb usbfs defaults 0 0
/dev/flash /mnt/memstick ext2,vfat rw,user,noauto 0 0
/dev/fatflash /mnt/fatstick vfat rw,user,noauto 0 0
</PRE
></FONT
></TD
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><P
>
The middle line enables mounting either in ext2 or vfat.
The last two lines make it possible for any user to mount the
device by the command
</P
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><PRE
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> <TT
CLASS="prompt"
>$</TT
><TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
> mount</B
> /dev/flash</B
></TT
> [for ext2 or vfat]
<TT
CLASS="prompt"
>$</TT
><TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
> mount</B
> /dev/fatflash</B
></TT
> [for vfat]
</PRE
></FONT
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><P
>
It is possible to mount both partitions simultaneously. See <A
HREF="mixed.html"
>Section 9</A
>.
</P
><P
>
In the case of an ext2-formatted device it does not seem possible
for a user (other than root) to mount in read-write mode. The
solution is to create a directory on the memory stick owned by the
particular user with complete permissions. Root should do that:
</P
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><PRE
CLASS="screen"
> <TT
CLASS="prompt"
>#</TT
> <TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
>mount </B
>/dev/flash </B
></TT
>
<TT
CLASS="prompt"
># </TT
><TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
>mkdir</B
> -m 777 /mnt/memstick/superdir </B
></TT
>
<TT
CLASS="prompt"
># </TT
><TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
><B
CLASS="command"
>chown</B
> charles:charles /mnt/memstick/superdir </B
></TT
>
</PRE
></FONT
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><P
> If the device is in the vfat format, this step is unnecessary.
</P
><P
>
In conclusion, here is a small script I use to mount and unmount
my (ext2) flash drive:
</P
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><TD
><FONT
COLOR="#000000"
><PRE
CLASS="programlisting"
> #!/bin/bash
EXCODE="keepit"
green='\033[0;32m'
yellow='\033[0;33m'
## ___________________________
## Function to echo in colours
echo_in_color ()
{
message=$2
message1=$4
color=$1
color1=$3
echo -e -n $color
echo -n $message
echo -e -n $color1 " "
echo -n $message1 " "
tput sgr0
return
}
## ___________________________
clear
mount /dev/flash
echo_in_color $green "Flash drive mounted"
sleep 2
while [ $EXCODE != "flexit" ]
do
clear
echo_in_color $yellow "Enter [flexit] to unmount and exit:"
read EXCODE
done
umount /dev/flash
exit
</PRE
></FONT
></TD
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><P
>
I call this from an FVWM menu by <TT
CLASS="userinput"
><B
> Exec exec xterm
-geometry 43x2+1250+0 -e /home/nikos/bin/flashdrive</B
></TT
>
which places it on a tiny x-term in one corner of the screen. The
horizontal displacement of 1250 may have to be modified according
to the horizontal resolution of your screen.
</P
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