[NTLUG:Discuss] external drive challenges

[Leroy Tennison]

Allen Meyers wrote:
> When I have tried the rest I can be assured here at least to get a
> solution in terms I understand. (I suspect the users know how
> challenged I am)
> 
> 1. Satisfied with my dual boot into Lenny, (do not want to partition)
> I need to test on my USB external, but I need to set it up safely
> without complications Please address the following.
> (a) code to create directory (not particular)
> (b) code to create a mnt point
> (c) Permission
> Presently have a partition on 160GB and an amount unallocated
> debian:/home/allen#  fdisk -l
> 
> Disk /dev/sda: 40.0 GB, 40020664320 bytes
> 255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 4865 cylinders
> Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x000c21c5
> 
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sda1   *           1        4704    37784848+  83  Linux
> /dev/sda2            4705        4865     1293232+   5  Extended
> /dev/sda5            4705        4865     1293201   82  Linux swap / Solaris
> debian:/home/allen#
> 
> You deserve an explanation why I do not partition HD. This unit
> stopped working after a series of red beep lights in a sequence that
> HP determined was a memory module problem and then it quit all
> together.
> I live in the boon dock have no access to live repair help so I opened
> it myself. At 77 not knowing Sh-- that was a challenge. After moving
> the modules around and a few false starts I was able to boot after a
> fashion. Power pressed = message on monitor Memory in 64 bit mode move
> memory modules to slots 1 & 2 for best performance. Press any key to
> continue or enter to shut down. That gets me into debian where I am
> now. When I start plugging in USB or live CD things happen that I am
> not ready to contend with. So I hope you can help me with the USB
> issue
> And thanks for long reading long winded post
> 
> Allen Meyers
> texas.chef94 at gmail.com
> 
> _______________________________________________
> http://www.ntlug.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 

I thought this was going to be easy until I read the latter part of your 
message.  Things don't sound real good hardware wise so I'm going to 
start with a big disclaimer that the following should work on a system 
not having issues (if HP determined that there was a memory module 
problem did they send you new memory?  If not, since you don't have 
access to their normal repair channels, I would ask them to send you 
replacements for all of them promising to return what you have after 
they arrive and work).  Second disclaimer, I'm using debian 2.6-18.6 as 
a reference - if you're on a different debian variant "your milage may 
vary".

First of all boot your system without the USB connected

Once your system is up (before you connect the USB device) then do 
Ctrl-Alt-F1 and login as root at the login prompt.

Now insert the USB device, on my debian a series of messages appeared 
when I plugged in a USB stick.  I had to press enter to get back to a 
prompt (the most minor of issues).

On my debian doing

	fdisk -l

showed my hda* partitions and sda1 and

	mount

showed that my debian didn't auto-mount the USB device (nothing 
referring to /dev/sda1).

Now do
	cd /

then

	ls -dl m*

My debian showed that there was both an 'mnt' and a 'media' directory. 
'mnt' used to be a sort-of default location where additional devices 
were mounted then it changed to 'media'.  On my debian all the cd 
devices appear under 'media' and 'mnt' is empty.  So, to make things 
simple, my suggestion would be to use 'mnt' and not create a new 
directory.  However, if you do want a different location then

	mkdir <directory name>

will create a new directory under the current one, use

	pwd

to determine what "current one" means in your situation.

To mount the USB device (I'm guessing big time that it's going to be 
/dev/sdb in your case so I'll use that in the example, use whatever is 
returned by 'fdisk -l') under "mnt" do

	mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt

for a different location specify it instead of '/mnt'.

Time to read the man pages for 'mkdir' and 'mount'.