Missing Folders, Files and Drive?

[GarySmith]

Noticed that among differing Linux versions there is sometimes a "mounting" of drives that has to be achieved before a file manager can see folders and files.

I've also seen a "drive mounting" on the menu but not able to effect mounting of the physical hard drive in some cases.

Any help to overcome the "missing" drive of folders and files? This is not an issue exclusive to a certain make, build of hardware or Linux OS.

Gary
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[GarySmith]

I plan on telling new users that an unseen drive needs to be "mounted" by mouse "clicking" on that drive letter before using file manager to access individual files.

Gary
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[Flash]

Does that mean you figured out the answer to your question?

[GarySmith]

Does that mean you figured out the answer to your question?

Pretty easy question. Just wondering if there were a different and more permanent method to assure File Manager the folders and files would be where expected--on a drive for reading?

Gary
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[Sylvander]

...there is sometimes a "mounting" of drives that has to be achieved before a file manager can see folders and files.

My understanding is...
It is NOT the physical drive that is being mounted.
It is the "File System" [of the PARTITION][i.e. "The Partition File System" (PFS)] that is being mounted.
There may be reasons why it's impossible for the PFS to be mounted [perhaps the PFS is corrupted].
e.g. Windows cannot normally mount Linux partition File Systems.
Windows always attempts to mount all PFS's, but it would fail to mount Linux partition File Systems.

[GarySmith]

...there is sometimes a "mounting" of drives that has to be achieved before a file manager can see folders and files.

My understanding is...
It is NOT the physical drive that is being mounted.
It is the "File System" [of the PARTITION][i.e. "The Partition File System" (PFS)] that is being mounted.
There may be reasons why it's impossible for the PFS to be mounted [perhaps the PFS is corrupted].
e.g. Windows cannot normally mount Linux partition File Systems.
Windows always attempts to mount all PFS's, but it would fail to mount Linux partition File Systems.

Sylvander, this must be an issue no one else has encountered. When in Puppy Precise Linux I can go on a file search for a drive but no files. Next, I use the file manager to mouse click on the drive and return to my prior search, even in an application, and the files now appear.

Gary
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[Sylvander]

1. "When in Puppy Precise Linux I can go on a file search for a drive but no files"
a. You CANNOT search "something" [it's not a drive, it's actually a Partition; more correctly a "Partition File System"] that isn't mounted.
You can only search the PFS once it has been mounted.
Puppy normally displays on the desktop the [un-mounted] Partitions it finds.
You can click on those to mount them.
Only then will a File Manager display them under /mnt.
Puppy will auto-mount a Partition, if that Puppy is making use of files on the partition.
That Partition is then named home, and seen in /mnt/home.

2. "Next, I use the file manager to mouse click on the drive..."
A File Manager won't [cannot] show you a "drive" [a real drive is hardware; GParted could show you that]...
I cannot do what you say you can do.

[GarySmith]

1. "When in Puppy Precise Linux I can go on a file search for a drive but no files" a. You CANNOT search "something" [it's not a drive, it's actually a Partition; more correctly a "Partition File System"] that isn't mounted. You can only search the PFS once it has been mounted. Puppy normally displays on the desktop the [un-mounted] Partitions it finds. You can click on those to mount them. Only then will a File Manager display them under /mnt. Puppy will auto-mount a Partition, if that Puppy is making use of files on the partition. That Partition is then named home, and seen in /mnt/home. 2. "Next, I use the file manager to mouse click on the drive..." A File Manager won't [cannot] show you a "drive" [a real drive is hardware; GParted could show you that]... I cannot do what you say you can do.

What I'm finding then are unmounted drives and assuming that, though seen on the desktop as an icon, they are unmounted. So a drive icon means mounted. What I've been noticing is that "though mounted" and when going to that drive, sometimes folders and files do not show. Wonder if this might be due to a completely different, physical hardware for a drive or my need to "get the drive seen" by going to the desktop and mouse clicking upon the drive's icon? Is this making a little better sense for logic? Not sure how to better explain but will try again.

Gary
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[mostly_lurking]

So a drive icon means mounted.

No, if a drive icon is present it only means that a drive or partition exists, not necessarily that it's mounted. In the image below, you can see the icons for my four hard drive partitions and a CD. The partition "sda1" is currently mounted (indicated by the green dot; it may have a different symbol on your system), all others are unmounted and their files are inaccessible. As usual in Puppy, clicking an icon mounts the partition and opens it in ROX-Filer; right-clicking gives an option to unmount it. Puppy also has the "pmount" utility which lets you mount and unmount partitions as well.

A partition/filesystem needs to be mounted in order to access the files on it. If I unmount "sda1" now and then open the /mnt/sda1 folder in my file manager, it'll be empty and I have to click the drive icon to mount it again.

Puppy does not automatically mount a device unless it needs access to it for some reason (savefile etc.). Windows auto-mounts everything by default, and some Linux distros might do, too.

Just wondering if there were a different and more permanent method to assure File Manager the folders and files would be where expected--on a drive for reading?

I guess you could create a script that mounts your hard drive partitions at boot or when the X server is started.

[GarySmith]

Mostly_Lurking,

Thank you and I fully get it now.

The mounting of a drive prior to being able to read that drive is where I was going in earlier posts.

Gary
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