accessing ntfs volumes

PRadyut

1) NTFS write support in pre 2.6.15 kernels. In pre 2.6.15, use userspace NTFS driver. (FUSE-driver & ntfsprogs tools).

First, install FUSE module from source og apt-get it.

Update library cache # ldconfig

Then install ntfsprogs tools. It will auto-detect FUSE.

$ man ntfsprogs $ man ntfsmount

Mount NTFS drive as root (sudo). # umountdev-sda2 # ntfsmountdev-sda2media-ntfs -o fmask=000,dmask=000

Test, write on it $ vimedia-ntfs-AUTOEXEC.BAT OK.

Note: "gedit" and other editors may wanna create new tempporary files on NTFS. It will wooov. -----------------------------------------------

Alternative 2) Achieving write on NTFS by Captive

Captive gives you write acess to NTFS, but it will only work on X86 (intel-amd) because it employs native Windows (ntfs.sys) driver.

Is it slow?

----------------------------------------------- Alternative 3) Linux kernel 2.6.15 has now a partial NTFS write support.

NTFS write support: You can write(2) to a file even beyond the end of the existing file. Sparse files can also be written and holes will be filed appropriately. truncate(2), ftruncate(2) and open(2) with OTRUNC flag also works. There're some limitations with heavily fragmented files which you won't be allowed to change. Also, notice that creation-deletion of files and directories is still not supported and mmap(2) based writes is still not complete - You must enable this feature in the kernel config. In # make menuconfig

* NTFS write support ------------------------------------

Kernel driver replaces the FUSE module (in alternative 1). It's also quicker than FUSE.

Study the status and further destin of kernel NTFS driver.

Note: I think you still need to use the special userspace ntfsprogs (tools) even you use the kernel based NTFS-driver. Am I wrong? Nope.

It means that an ordninary mount -o rw will not work yet. Use ntfsmount instead. ------------------------------------

moma