On Sat, 22 Oct 2011 23:38:45 -0400, Walter Dnes wrote:

> On Sat, Oct 22, 2011 at 09:21:50PM +0100, Neil Bothwick wrote
> 
> > This came up recently with a different subject. Your device does not
> > have a partition table, instead the filesystem occupies the whole
> > device (sometimes referred to as a "superfloppy" format). There's
> > nothing wrong with this, I have a couple of USB sticks like it, and
> > my Nexus S is the same.
> > 
> > Your automounter should still pick it up.
> 
>   I don't use an automounter.  I like to be in control of what gets
> mounted when.

Then use an intelligent automounter, that only mounts things you want it
to and lets you make choices about the rest :)

> Thanks for the explanation. With it in mind I've finally 
> come up with a plan that works.
> In /etc/sudoers.d/001 I've included...
> 
> waltdnes    i3 = (root) NOPASSWD: /sbin/fdisk -l /dev/sdc
> 
>   And there's an entry for a vfat device in /etc/fstab for directory
> /mnt/extc.  The command "/sbin/fdisk -l /dev/sdc" seems to read in the
> partition table into the system and things work from there on in.  fdisk
> only works as root, hence the sudo command.  Here's a sample session...
> 
> ===================================================================
> waltdnes@i3 ~ $ mount /mnt/extc        
> mount: special device /dev/sdc1 does not exist
> waltdnes@i3 ~ $ sudo /sbin/fdisk -l /dev/sdc
> 
> Disk /dev/sdc: 16.0 GB, 16012804096 bytes
> 256 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1939 cylinders, total 31275008 sectors
> Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
> Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
> Disk identifier: 0x00000000
> 
>    Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
> /dev/sdc1   *        2048    31275007    15636480    c  W95 FAT32 (LBA)
> waltdnes@i3 ~ $ mount /mnt/extc
> waltdnes@i3 ~ $
> ===================================================================

In that case, you have a different situation since there is clearly a
partition on the disk. The partition table may be slightly faulty, hence
the need for fdisk. Recreating the partition table with fdisk should fix
that permanently.


-- 
Neil Bothwick

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.