Format a "read only" drive

[Ed P]

There are ways of doing this from safe mode, but I think I would rather you use the Live method if you can as the possibility of totally stuffing your system could not be ruled out.

[Les.]

All, I just got back to full working, and amazingly before I saw last replies.

Edp, yes, I am sure it went t-up due to some silly error in nano.

When I came to it yesterday, I first thought it was a hardware fault, since it was AOK at previous night’s shutdown. I dug out the spare PC which (I THOUGHT) had a working op sys. That would not boot, so i then went in circles for much of the day.

In fact the spare PC had a 60GB with install, but I had replaced it with a NEW second 240GB SSD, hence the non-boot and confusion. I installed a fresh system on the new 240GB SSD, and I was able to see my corrupted drive, and copy everything except the .mozilla and .thunderbird and copy all to my older LaCie.

Later on, using the 60GB install (sda1) , and my corrupt drive in as well (sdb1) I was now able to see the locked .mozilla and .thunderbird and copy to backup drive.

That was the solution, now up and running, BUT I still have the original SSD with a non mount and also of course my new L:aCie. LATER!

Les.

[Ed P]

Rather than risk your system – go the ‘toy’ route and use autofs (in synaptic I’m sure).

[Les.]

Ed, first a good result, then bad things on other fronts. When my emails came up, the first thing I see is a REFUSAL of a planning application that I made back in May. Next, whilst “jar-ing the jam, I managed to knock one over so purple jam stains everywhere.

So, back to simple stuff. I will put the 60GB drive in the No.2 machine and try again with the new LaCie. nothing lost if I screw things up. Now I have a full working setup on No.1 machine, I can afford to wipe and reinstall a spare copy on the No.2 machine, which I will do. I will have a look at autofs, I MAY learn something.

Cheers, Les.

[Les.]

Tonight I got the No 2 PC reinstalled having given up on fixing it re the non-booting. Later, I disconnected it and connected the 60GB drive. booted up, then ran thro the original suggestions to fix the  new LaCie drive. Ensured I got the correct drive (sdb, NOT sdb1 ). closed nano (everything seems to work as (I think) it should.

Shut down, disconnected the LaCie and tried to reboot. Exactly the same as with my No.1 PC on Mon morning.

So that procedure is a No-No for me.

Still don’t know what to do with the 1TB drive!  festina lente.

Les.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

That which is done well is done quickly enough is another good one 😁

[Ed P]

I think that your uuid numbers may be the issue, but rather than risk all do try autofs.

You can either go the toy route and click on the drive when you want it, or with a little more care get autofs to detect the drive on boot in a manner that is better than fstab. link

Unfortunately as you will see  this is not completely a cut and paste method, as some of the steps need different labels to suit your system. With care it should be less disaster prone than fstab.

[Les.]

SUCCESS!  I have finally got it sorted! Today I again attempted to mount the drive using disks. I went all the way through the procedure until the final step where I was asked for PW before writing the new data to etc/fstab. Whoa!. Is this going to screw my OS and data? CANCEL quickly and think again. I dug out that last screwed 60GB SSD, fitted it instead of my main SSD, rebooted with the Mint install disk and load it into RAM. Now “Install”, to ensure the 60GB can “do things” without risk to my main drive.

Back to disks, ensure one partition on LaCie 1TB drive, next format drive (ext 4), and after completion of that, open the”gears” tab and then mount options. mount the drive. Close everything, shut down computer, then reboot.

WORKS!!!

Les.      EDIT. The fact that it did not corrupt the 60GB drive, meant I then had to refit my main drive and repeat the above procedure. That worked too.

[wasbit]

Glad you got it sorted.

Off Topic – watching The Chase last week there was a contestant from the IoM who worked in IT & liked motorbikes. I thought it might be you but when Bradley asked his wife’s name, it wasn’t Tamara.

--
Regards
wasbit

Rig 1: Optiplex 3050 SFF
Rig 2: Asus ROG G20CB (rebuilt wreck)
Rig 3: HP Elitebook 8440P

Dear Starfleet, hate you, hate the Federation, taking Voyager. - Janeway

[Les.]

Wasbit, no, not me. I did not see it as I never watch any TV other than midday news, motogp and F1. Perhaps I should get to know him however, much better when you have an expert “on hand”, things go much better.

I had a pal getting on for 10 years ago, who had been using unix stuff for decades. He struggled for a while with a badly supported network card, but the provided me with a good workaround. problem was every kernel update meant another repeat of the workaround. –Solved with a different card. But then he returned back to UK.

It was strange that ext/fstab was so dangerous from the command line, but via the graphical “Disks” it just worked.

But everything “computer” is strange in reality. In reality I have a very analogue mind. I can deal with electrics, simple electronics,”motorcycle) engineering, combustion technology (well, a bit), ceramic technology (professional qualified), simple metrology, but digital leaves me confused. But today the world is digital, even if many do not understand it.

Les.

[Ed P]

I agree fstab via the command line is a bit of a risky operation in that one mistake turns the pc into a brick. For my own future reference which gui disk management system was ‘easy’ to use?

[Les.]

Edp, “Disks”. In Mint, Menu – Accessories  – Disks.

It displays all drives. Select correct one.Remove, modify or why partitions. next Format, (and you have to tell it to get on with it), then finally mount it. There is a little arrowhead in the partition display area that I think says “partitioned!”, later another little icon next to that tells you formatting is completed. Close and reboot and it is mounted. (That is as best as I recall until next time I have to battle with it again.

Les.

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