Mint 18.1 Cinnamon, USB Ext Drive Doesn't Mount If Win Shares Are Not Available [SOLVED]

[Zhillsguy]

I am using Serena Cinnamon 64 bit out of the box. This is the following line added to fstab:

//(server.ip.add)/sharename /home/username/Music cifs noauto,x-systemd.automount,credentials=/home/username/samba-credentials 0 0

The samba-credentials file has the Win username/password. This works flawlessly if the Win server is on. The share mounts in the /Music folder and there is a shortcut on the desktop for access after boot and everything works normally.

If the windows server is not on and the shares aren't accessible my USB external drive won't auto mount at boot and after being unplugged/plugged in.

This behavior is identical on both my Lenovo 11E little laptop and on an older Dell laptop, both with the same OS setup. I am auto-logging into Mint with both.

Any suggestions? I have tried nofail and x-systemd.device-timeout, neither has any effect. It seems something is borked, but this is with multiple fresh OS installs.

Thanks.

[altair4]

Wow. I honestly and truly do not see how one thing could affect the other.

So what your are saying is if you comment out ( place a # in front of the line in fstab ) the cifs line your USB device mounts properly?

I have no idea. You might consider mounting the cifs share a different way:

Code: Select all

//(server.ip.add)/sharename /home/username/Music cifs noauto,user,credentials=/home/username/samba-credentials 0 0

The share will not automount at boot but:
It will create a launcher on the desktop ( since the mount point is in your home directory.
It will create a launcher on the side panel of Nemo.

If either of those are selected it will mount the share to /media/username/Music. The whole thing is seamless.

THis doesn't address the underlying problem but I just don't know what the underlying problem could be.

[Zhillsguy]

Thanks for the reply altair4..... I am somewhat of a Linux newb.

To follow up, using my original posted line, yes, the usb mounts normally if the line is commented out.

I received the example line using x-systemd from another forum, where the poster indicated the shares would not automount, but be available if a program needed them, then they would mount. He doesn't use Mint, but is an experienced Debian user.

I ended up changing noauto to auto within your posted line and all is well for now.... another thing learned.