Comments on: Formatting USB hard drives for Ubuntu (Gutsy Gibbon) http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/ neat fun stuff Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:35:07 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Rick Blackmon http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-397251 Rick Blackmon Sun, 27 Sep 2009 15:28:45 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-397251 I have just gone through the process of launching a reviews and guides website. I read and wrote reviews on over 50 <a href="http://usbportabledrives.com" rel="nofollow">usb portable drives</a> including several about the necessity of backup. I have 2 <a href="http://usbportabledrives.com/seagate-portable-usb-hard-drive-reviews/freeagent-xtreme" rel="nofollow">Seagate USB portable drives</a> on my system and yes, my Cand D drives are backed up. I am ashamed to say the backup is at least 6 months old. I need to practice what I preach. I am thinking of either getting a Seagate Free Agent Xtreme or a <a href="http://usbportabledrives.com/western-digital-portable-usb-hard-drive-reviews/wd-my-book-mirror" rel="nofollow">Western Digital MyBook Mirror</a>. Incase you aren't familiar with teh WD Mirror, it contains 2 drives. You can either configure them in RAID 0 and have 1 humongous drive or RAID 1 and have an auto backed up drive. Right now, I am leaning toward the WD MyBook Mirror. Any thoughts? I have just gone through the process of launching a reviews and guides website. I read and wrote reviews on over 50 usb portable drives including several about the necessity of backup.

I have 2 Seagate USB portable drives on my system and yes, my Cand D drives are backed up. I am ashamed to say the backup is at least 6 months old. I need to practice what I preach. I am thinking of either getting a Seagate Free Agent Xtreme or a Western Digital MyBook Mirror.

Incase you aren’t familiar with teh WD Mirror, it contains 2 drives. You can either configure them in RAID 0 and have 1 humongous drive or RAID 1 and have an auto backed up drive.

Right now, I am leaning toward the WD MyBook Mirror. Any thoughts?

]]> By: Harrison Napper http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-354259 Harrison Napper Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:55:28 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-354259 Ditto on the Ubuntu appreciation. Kind of late to the party, I realize, but for what it's worth, I run Ubuntu Studio 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and I believe GParted comes standard with the OS in the Admin tools. As a Linux n00b, I can attest to the fact that Ubuntu is pretty easy for non-coders (though I do know how to program a little bit, if I didn't, I would still be fine with a little effort and ingenuity) and this tutorial is still applicable on 9.04. One difference being, of course, that most of the command line work can be bypassed for the GUI if you prefer that route. If you are going to run a production studio environment, formatting your external hard-drives is essentially a must. Thanks and keep up the informative posts! Regards, Harrison Ditto on the Ubuntu appreciation. Kind of late to the party, I realize, but for what it’s worth, I run Ubuntu Studio 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and I believe GParted comes standard with the OS in the Admin tools. As a Linux n00b, I can attest to the fact that Ubuntu is pretty easy for non-coders (though I do know how to program a little bit, if I didn’t, I would still be fine with a little effort and ingenuity) and this tutorial is still applicable on 9.04. One difference being, of course, that most of the command line work can be bypassed for the GUI if you prefer that route. If you are going to run a production studio environment, formatting your external hard-drives is essentially a must. Thanks and keep up the informative posts!

Regards,
Harrison

]]> By: JOrdUbU http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-226706 JOrdUbU Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:12:22 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-226706 All right guys, This is what i did and it works I have an Iomega external Hard Drive (HD USB) 250 GB I downloaded "GPARTED" then it identified my Iomega HD Then I rightcliced it and UNMOUNT it That's necessary for the formatting Finally rightcliced again and select format to FAT32 that's the needed one format This FAT32 allow you to write and read it. And it works with Ubuntu and Windows and I supose to MAc OS X too So that is it Remember to make a BACK UP first with DVDS or another Computer or HD All right guys,

This is what i did and it works

I have an Iomega external Hard Drive (HD USB) 250 GB
I downloaded “GPARTED” then it identified my Iomega HD
Then I rightcliced it and UNMOUNT it That’s necessary for the formatting
Finally rightcliced again and select format to FAT32 that’s the needed one format
This FAT32 allow you to write and read it.

And it works with Ubuntu and
Windows and I supose to MAc OS X too
So that is it
Remember to make a BACK UP first with DVDS or another Computer or HD

]]> By: Dr Kayak http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-222848 Dr Kayak Mon, 19 Jan 2009 04:20:42 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-222848 Thank you so much for the concise instructions on how to format my WD external hard drive. After a day of frustration dealing with 'puter issues, including trying to understand why I couldn't copy any files bigger than 4G to the WD disk, it was like a breath of fresh air to find something that worked, first try! Thank you so much for the concise instructions on how to format my WD external hard drive. After a day of frustration dealing with ‘puter issues, including trying to understand why I couldn’t copy any files bigger than 4G to the WD disk, it was like a breath of fresh air to find something that worked, first try!

]]> By: Rogu http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-209110 Rogu Wed, 31 Dec 2008 10:06:03 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-209110 At first, thank you Matt for the tips! However, I report that after formatting the USB drive to ext3, naming and sdparming it, I wasn't able to boot anymore. What I got was just error 15 in grub. And I'm 100% sure that I did not touch any other devices than the Seagate USB drive while performing these steps. The Ubuntu version I use is 8.04. I have followed <a href="http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=1356854&postcount=6" rel="nofollow">these</a> advices to solve the problem. Basically just for fun since my plan was to install Ubuntu 8.10 after taking backups. And luckily, I took full backup before shutting down the machine yesterday night. But in any case, it would be nice to understand what happened. At first, thank you Matt for the tips!

However, I report that after formatting the USB drive to ext3, naming and sdparming it, I wasn’t able to boot anymore. What I got was just error 15 in grub. And I’m 100% sure that I did not touch any other devices than the Seagate USB drive while performing these steps. The Ubuntu version I use is 8.04.

I have followed these advices to solve the problem. Basically just for fun since my plan was to install Ubuntu 8.10 after taking backups. And luckily, I took full backup before shutting down the machine yesterday night.

But in any case, it would be nice to understand what happened.

]]> By: John Leeper http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-132210 John Leeper Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:41:05 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-132210 Christian is right. I can't make new folders etc because owner is root. How do I change owner so I can set permissions. Will I be able to use this same portable hard drive on different computers? Thanks. Christian is right. I can’t make new folders etc because owner is root. How do I change owner so I can set permissions. Will I be able to use this same portable hard drive on different computers? Thanks.

]]> By: Christian Einfeldt http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-128976 Christian Einfeldt Thu, 19 Jun 2008 21:47:52 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-128976 Hi Matt, Thanks for this tip. Both the qparted tip and the 32label worked for me. The only thing I would add is that the user is going to need to change the permissions on the external hard drive to their user account if they are using Hardy, because Hardy set the ownership of my Iomega external hard drive as root. Some end users might not think of that. The symptom that I was experiencing was trouble writing to the external hard drive. Thanks again, Matt! Christian Einfeldt, Producer, The Digital Tipping Point Hi Matt,

Thanks for this tip. Both the qparted tip and the 32label worked for me. The only thing I would add is that the user is going to need to change the permissions on the external hard drive to their user account if they are using Hardy, because Hardy set the ownership of my Iomega external hard drive as root. Some end users might not think of that. The symptom that I was experiencing was trouble writing to the external hard drive.

Thanks again, Matt!

Christian Einfeldt,
Producer, The Digital Tipping Point

]]> By: Brian http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-124385 Brian Fri, 21 Mar 2008 18:16:55 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-124385 Matt, Thank you much for your help in turning off the STANDBY feature on the Seagate Free Agent Pro. I have a series of cron tasks that are supposed to routinely back up my data to a Seagate, and the spin down was a horrible nuisance. On the other hand, I'm still pretty ignorant when it comes to hardware. Will disabling the IDLE and STANDBY options shorten the drive's life significantly? --Brian Matt,

Thank you much for your help in turning off the STANDBY feature on the Seagate Free Agent Pro. I have a series of cron tasks that are supposed to routinely back up my data to a Seagate, and the spin down was a horrible nuisance.

On the other hand, I’m still pretty ignorant when it comes to hardware. Will disabling the IDLE and STANDBY options shorten the drive’s life significantly?

–Brian

]]> By: Richie http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-121148 Richie Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:42:44 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-121148 I bought a lap top from Packard Bell only for it to have problem after problem and even though it was still under warranty (at the time) they did nothing to help me out. So I gave up on it as it was going to cost too much for a new cpu and hard disk than it was worth. A mate of mine had a look at it and said to install Linux on it as it didn't need to resources that windows required, now I have another computer back thanks to the greatest of Ubuntu, I would recommend it to anyone for normal internet use, I now use Mac but it is a great little back up and as others have said there are plenty of great open source programs for Ubuntu. And version 7.10 skin looks a little like Mac! A cheap way around having something that looks like Mac without the greatness of Mac! I have now starting converting windows users that have bought brand new computers with Vista to Ubuntu. I bought a lap top from Packard Bell only for it to have problem after problem and even though it was still under warranty (at the time) they did nothing to help me out. So I gave up on it as it was going to cost too much for a new cpu and hard disk than it was worth.

A mate of mine had a look at it and said to install Linux on it as it didn’t need to resources that windows required, now I have another computer back thanks to the greatest of Ubuntu, I would recommend it to anyone for normal internet use, I now use Mac but it is a great little back up and as others have said there are plenty of great open source programs for Ubuntu.

And version 7.10 skin looks a little like Mac! A cheap way around having something that looks like Mac without the greatness of Mac!

I have now starting converting windows users that have bought brand new computers with Vista to Ubuntu.

]]> By: Afriend http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-121132 Afriend Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:45:30 +0000 http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/format-external-drive-for-linux/#comment-121132 The object in picture - " no idea and not interested " What I would be interested in is making basic seo available to the newcommers in this age of spam wouldn't it do well to do some good to help people that are new with new ideas or do you guys just wanna promote spammy crap that pays you the money? The object in picture – ” no idea and not interested ”

What I would be interested in is making basic seo available to the newcommers in this age of spam wouldn’t it do well to do some good to help people that are new with new ideas or do you guys just wanna promote spammy crap that pays you the money?

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