(SOLVED) How do I mount a Floppy Drive?

[Bald Brick]

2 Just for info . . here is the line in Mtab entry
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy vfat ro,nosuid,nodev,users,umask=0,iocharset=utf8,flush 0 0
(I don't know if it's relevant or correct)

The only slightly disturbing thing is the reported "ro" option: the floppy seems to have been mounted read-only.

[Tony]

Please Excuse me for jumping in about PLOP:
Thanks Just18, that was an interesting read ! 

You should find a few threads discussing PLOP on the forum.

It works well.

[Old-Polack]

Replace your existing fstab line:

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto umask=0,user,iocharset=utf8,noauto,flush 0 0

with:

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto umask=0,users,iocharset=utf8,noauto,flush,exec 0 0

You are correct. It should be users. You are missing the exec option, as well.

Reboot after verifying the changes are correct. Try again.

EDIT: Also, with the right fstab entry, you do not need root privileges to mount, unmount, read or copy from floppy disks.

I still use /mnt/floppy rather than /media/floppy, because in the past, the floppy formatting utility expected to find it there. I don't know if this has changed or not, but this rather simple /etc/fstab entry has always worked for me.

/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    rw,user,noauto,exec             0 0

The following, saved to the desktop as Floppy.desktop, works for me to mount the floppy, view it's contents with Dolphin, and unmount the floppy disks, when ready to eject them.

------------------------------------------------ start ------------------------------------------------
[Desktop Action Format]
Exec=kfloppy %v
Name=Format

[Desktop Entry]
Actions=Format;
Comment[en_US]=
Comment=
Exec=mount /dev/fd0; dolphin /mnt/floppy
GenericName[en_US]=
GenericName=
Icon=media-floppy
MimeType=
Name[en_US]=Floppy
Name=Floppy
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
#Type=Application
Type=FSDevice
Dev=/dev/fd0
UnmountIcon=media-floppy
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=none
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

------------------------------------------------ end -------------------------------------------------

[Bald Brick]

Replace your existing fstab line:

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto umask=0,user,iocharset=utf8,noauto,flush 0 0

with:

/dev/fd0 /media/floppy auto umask=0,users,iocharset=utf8,noauto,flush,exec 0 0

You are correct. It should be users. You are missing the exec option, as well.

Reboot after verifying the changes are correct. Try again.

EDIT: Also, with the right fstab entry, you do not need root privileges to mount, unmount, read or copy from floppy disks.

I still use /mnt/floppy rather than /media/floppy, because in the past, the floppy formatting utility expected to find it there. I don't know if this has changed or not,

According to the current Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard floppies should be mounted under /media and not under /mnt.

This is silly, of course, as the mountpoints under /media are usually created on the fly by the system while you usually have to create the mountpoints for floppies yourself. So if I still used floppies I'd follow O-P's example and mount them under /mnt, and standards be damned....

but this rather simple /etc/fstab entry has always worked for me.

/dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    rw,user,noauto,exec             0 0

The following, saved to the desktop as Floppy.desktop, works for me to mount the floppy, view it's contents with Dolphin, and unmount the floppy disks, when ready to eject them.

------------------------------------------------ start ------------------------------------------------
[Desktop Action Format]
Exec=kfloppy %v
Name=Format

[Desktop Entry]
Actions=Format;
Comment[en_US]=
Comment=
Exec=mount /dev/fd0; dolphin /mnt/floppy
GenericName[en_US]=
GenericName=
Icon=media-floppy
MimeType=
Name[en_US]=Floppy
Name=Floppy
Path=
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
TerminalOptions=
#Type=Application
Type=FSDevice
Dev=/dev/fd0
UnmountIcon=media-floppy
X-DBUS-ServiceName=
X-DBUS-StartupType=none
X-KDE-SubstituteUID=false
X-KDE-Username=

------------------------------------------------ end -------------------------------------------------

[djohnston]

3 Your comment in post #4
"EDIT: Also, with the right fstab entry, you do not need root privileges to mount, unmount, read or copy from floppy disks".
That would be really helpful not to have to go to root - so I would appreciate the right fstab entry.

Do you mean to say you've been doing all this as root? You should not have to. Everything I've covered, unless noted otherwise, can be done as a regular user. I can mount and unmount floppies as a regular user.

1 Yes please, I want to create desktop files for mounting and unmounting the disks. (Your post #1)

Copy and paste this to a text editor. Save the file as floppy_mount.desktop.

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/48x48/devices/media-floppy.png
Name=MountFloppy
Comment=Mount a floppy disk
Categories=FileManager;X-MandrivaLinux-System-FileTools;
Exec=mount /dev/fd0
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
MimeType=x-directory/normal;inode/directory;
X-Desktop-File-Install-Version=0.18

Copy and paste this to a text editor. Save the file as floppy_unmount.desktop.

[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Icon=/usr/share/icons/gnome/48x48/devices/media-flash.png
Name=UnmountFloppy
Comment=Unmount a floppy disk
Categories=FileManager;X-MandrivaLinux-System-FileTools;
Exec=umount /media/floppy
StartupNotify=true
Terminal=false
MimeType=x-directory/normal;inode/directory;
X-Desktop-File-Install-Version=0.18

After saving both files, move or copy them to ~/.local/share/applications directory. ~ is your home directory, and .local is a hidden folder in your home directory. Once the two desktop files are in ~/.local/share/applications, you will see two new entries in the File Tools section of the PCLinuxOS menu. Select MountFloppy or UnmounFloppy from the menu to do what is indicated. If you wish, you can also copy the two desktop files you created to your ~/Desktop folder. The icons will then show on your desktop. There may be more to it than that if you're using KDE4.

2 Just for info . . here is the line in Mtab entry
/dev/fd0 /media/floppy vfat ro,nosuid,nodev,users,umask=0,iocharset=utf8,flush 0 0
(I don't know if it's relevant or correct)

I wasn't sure, either. So I mounted a floppy with the write tab on, then off. The result is that if the write tab is on, mtab entry will show ro. If the write tab is off, mtab entry will show rw.

I still use /mnt/floppy rather than /media/floppy, because in the past, the floppy formatting utility expected to find it there. I don't know if this has changed or not, but this rather simple /etc/fstab entry has always worked for me.

I don't know if it's changed or not, either. I did not choose the mount point. Diskdrake did when I ran the setup utility in PCC > Local disks > Floppy drive. Because removeable media mount points are now normally in the /media directory, I left things alone. The Floppy.desktop file you're showing looks like it has a bit more functionality than the two I created. If one was not using a KDE desktop, I'm not sure what to substitute for kfloppy and dolphin.

[linuxist]

djohnston
Your post #19
I confess I did it in root first. Then I realized it should be in user. So, please ignore my post #14.3
Sorry, I'm a newbie not a tekky! but I'm learning a lot from you & Bald Brick & OP.
Anyhow, I confirm all is running as it should in 'user' using command line mount/umount, with folder 'floppy' visible in left pane.
I haven't yet started to create desktop files for mounting and unmounting the disks.
I'll use yours because I'm using PCManFM too.
No offense to Bald Brick & OP
I'll up date you soon. Thanks

[linuxist]

djohnston,
many thanks.
Everything is up 'n' running exactly as you said it would be.
I am very grateful to you & the other heroes.
p.s.
How do I mark this subject & my previous subject as 'SOLVED' ?

[Bald Brick]

How do I mark this subject & my previous subject as 'SOLVED' ?

Edit (modify) your first post and add 'SOLVED' to the Subject line.