In Mandrake 7.0 and earlier (but I think it's the same in 7.1)
and in other distributions, VFAT partitions are unwrittable for normal
users. Everytime when I reinstall Linux, I've to add "umask=000"
options in /etc/fstab.
When we mount a Vfat partition, most of the time we want to share
files with the Win9x world. But if the partition is unwrittable for
normal users, there's no point of mounting it -- why not use floppy
diskettes? Don't you agree? Personally, vfat partition is used as
storage and I like to put important file there, and once I reboot my
PC to Win9x, I can burn the data to CD-Rom. (Actually, there's
another dummy solution: unmount the partition as root and remount it
as a normal user; but if we do this everytime, it's better make the
change in fstab.)
Now, finding out why one can't write to it, how to change the
settings, where to find informations and what to do would really
demand a lot to a newbie/normal user. So my suggestion is
1) to mount these vfat partitions with full permissions by defaults,
or
2) to provide a check box to mount vfat (well, I mean vfat, fat and
dos) partitions with full access during Installation of Linux.
By the way, there's also the "exec" option for every vfat
partition to indicate that all files in the partition are executable.
I don't think this choice really makes sense because Dos/Win binary
aren't executable under Linux. Marking them as executable is just
misleading.
Keep on the good product.
Seak T.F.
