[lug] Recommendations for Instructions on Mounting W2K file systems

[D. Stimits]

...> I’m confused, for example, by http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net
> <http://linux-ntfs.sourceforge.net/> which explains that fedora is the 
> only distribution that does not have ntfs file system (which I confirmed 
> with “cat /proc/filesystems”.) This site led me to believe that I did 
> not need samba. After installing the rpm for my version of the OS, I 
> still don’t see ntfs in /proc/filesystems.

Samba is for mounting NTFS through the network neighborhood methods 
native to windows. You don't need it to mount a partition, you do need 
it to mount a windows network shared service running on the network 
neighborhood mechanism.

NTFS support is a kernel thing, not a samba thing. If the server running 
samba does not support NTFS then it can't read the NTFS partition, thus 
it can't export it. The importing server needs to understand samba's 
interface.
...
> Anyway has anyone successfully mounted a local or remote ntfs partition 
> from Fedora Core 4? If so, how did you do it? Can you point me to the 
> instructions?

I don't use samba, but have directly mounted NTFS on every distro I've 
had, which includes RH 7.3 and Fedora Core 2 and 4. Check to see if your 
kernel was configured with an NTFS module.

Keep in mind that you need to mount NTFS as read-only. There is write 
support but it is experimental and probably a good idea only if you want 
a trashed filesystem. The only exception I know to this is that you can 
alter bytes in a file provided you do not change the total number of 
bytes. Random file creation, copy, truncation, and append probably will 
destroy your partition.

D. Stimits, stimits AT comcast DOT net