UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi,

This may be a stupid question, but I want to get a confirmation from experts.

After some painful attempts I was able to successfully dual boot RH Linux 7.3 with the Win XP hp factor install. (I used Partition Magic 8 from WinXP for creating the ext3 partitions)

I have now a nice grub boot loader screen allowing me to boot into either of linux or xp.

Now my problem:

I can browse the contents of linux ext3 partitions (/boot and /) using the browse option in Partition Magic while running XP.

Can I do similar thing from linux? Can I browse (for copying the files and folders, no other operation) the NTFS partitions?

If NTFS is listed in /etc/fstab, I can just do a mount and treat it the same way as any other partition. But I found no entry for NTFS in /etc/fstab.

I also read that NTFS access from Linux is currently unstable and dangerous as it can destroy the file system. And as far as I know RHL 7.3 does not support NTFS.

Is there anyway (with recompiling the kernel with a "NTFS module") to allow NTFS access?

Thank you!
Vishnu.

There should be a -ntfs option for mount, ala:

Code:

mount -t ntfs /dev/hdx /mnt/myNTFSDrive

But AFAIK, mounting a NTFS filesystem is read-only proposition. Writing to a NTFS filesystem could corrupt it.

Mounting an NTFS partition read-write (and writing to it, which you no doubt will as it will try to write "last access" file times) with the kernel and modules provided by RH7.3 will corrupt it. It says so in the documentation provided with the module that allows it.

I believe RH7.3 puts a read-only module in by default, though. Try it out.

I highly recommend not writing to the the NTFS partitions.It may work fine for a while then one just corrupt the system.Beleive me I know.