moving files / permissions?

[Gordon Messmer]

Trevor Smith wrote:
> 
> I logged out, logged in as root, changed the fstab line to say:
> 
> /dev/hda5               /mnt/win2k              vfat    defaults,users 
> 0 0

The option should be "user" not "users".

> I logged out and back in as 'trevor' and this what I got when I tried
> to move a file from the command line:
...
> mv: cannot create regular file `/mnt/win2k/EnumerExample.java':
> Permission denied

The "user" only has permission to write to the disk if he mounted it. 
Fix your fstab option, unmount the drive, log in as "trevor" and mount 
the drive as that user.  You will then be able to write to it.

> Bizarrely, dragging and dropping the file while logged in as root
> causes a pop-up error message to be displayed (it says I don't have
> permission) but the file IS moved (but only when logged in as root).

The access failure occurs because your file manager is trying to 
preserve permissions.  It copies the file (which is fine), then tries to 
set the user/group and permissions on the new file which can't be done. 
  vfat doesn't store file owner/group or permissions.

> Of course, it's a FAT32 partition. Is that the same as "VFAT"? Or might
> I be running into some problem because VFAT != FAT32 ?

Nope.  vfat == fat32