How to auto mount ntfs partition on dual boot windows-linux to share files multi user

[Laurentius]

Hello. i would like to ask a general question.

What would be the best way (on the linux side) to auto mount shared ntfs partitions between Windows (7, 8, 10) and linux?

Considering:

1) Multiple users on windows (at least 2)
2) Multiple users on linux (at least the same 2 real persons)

Even knowing that there could be a risk of data loss, i would like to avoid permission restrictions on that shared folder between those different users. I mean, i would allow them to read and write on that ntfs partition (they already know it is a share).

[catweazel]

Even knowing that there could be a risk of data loss, i would like to avoid permission restrictions on that shared folder between those different users. I mean, i would allow them to read and write on that ntfs partition (they already know it is a share).

The risk of data loss accessing an NTFS partition with linux nowadays is pretty much the same as accessing an NTFS partition with Windwoes.

To achieve what you want, simply create the mount point, set permissions on it then mount the volume in fstab.

[altair4]

To achieve what you want, simply create the mount point, set permissions on it then mount the volume in fstab.

It's just the opposite. All mounts to a mount point override the permissions of the mount point with their own. All mounts - NTFS, ext4, cifs, ...

Anyhoo ... it looks like Mute Ant already answered this duplicate post: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=267808&p=1458449#p1458449

[Laurentius]

altair4 said:

Anyhoo ... it looks like Mute Ant already answered this duplicate post: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=267808&p=1458449#p1458449

So, that way of mounting at fstab:

UUID=(device) /media/mount-point ntfs defaults,uid=(user),windows_names 0 0

also applies for a multi-user sceario, so that both users can read and write on that partition and they can also read and write the files that the other one creates?
Great!

I didn't mean to duplicate posts: the other one was a very specific question for a specific problem, and as a user is called (uid=lm) in the fstab line I was wandering what would happen if other user would try to access the partition and the files created by lm user. And what if lm tried to access the files created by the other users (on that partition). As this would be on an office environment (but few people), i did not want to go messing with permission restrictions.

t's just the opposite. All mounts to a mount point override the permissions of the mount point with their own. All mounts - NTFS, ext4, cifs, ...

I was also going to make a similar question, regarding an ext4 file system, and a multi-user multi-boot set up (linux-linux). But if on this matter they are all similar, may be we can talk about it here.
I use at home a dual boot linux-linux laptop (let's say linuxmint xfce on one partiton and linuxmint cinnamon on another with a shared saparate /home folder) and share files at that ext4 partition and i ussually have trouble with permissions. I need to go changing permissions (not always, but often) when i create a file to allow the other user to write it. So, i was wondering if there was something with the options of fstab that i should learn to solve that, or if, instead, i should better read documentation about user/groups/permissions on linux

[catweazel]

To achieve what you want, simply create the mount point, set permissions on it then mount the volume in fstab.

It's just the opposite. All mounts to a mount point override the permissions of the mount point with their own. All mounts - NTFS, ext4, cifs, ...

That may be true but only insofar as one specifies permissions in the mount command, but I made no mention of that.

[altair4]

altair4 said:

Anyhoo ... it looks like Mute Ant already answered this duplicate post: viewtopic.php?f=50&t=267808&p=1458449#p1458449

So, that way of mounting at fstab:

UUID=(device) /media/mount-point ntfs defaults,uid=(user),windows_names 0 0

also applies for a multi-user sceario, so that both users can read and write on that partition and they can also read and write the files that the other one creates?

An NTFS partition defined in fstab - without any other adjustments to ownership and permissions - will mount with owner = root, group = root, and permissions = 777 meaning everyone will have read / write access to the partition. You can change ownership if you want with the uid / gid options as Mute Ant suggested in your other post:
UUID=(device) /media/mount-point ntfs defaults,uid=(user),gid=(group),windows_names 0 0

I didn't mean to duplicate posts: the other one was a very specific question for a specific problem, and as a user is called (uid=lm) in the fstab line I was wandering what would happen if other user would try to access the partition and the files created by lm user. And what if lm tried to access the files created by the other users (on that partition). As this would be on an office environment (but few people), i did not want to go messing with permission restrictions.

Here's the thing about NTFS which makes it different from ext4: NTFS has no Linux permissions bits - that is why chown / chmod has no affect. When you mount an NTFS partition you create a "view" of that partition that makes it appear as it does. But those permissions are immutable. The ownership and group defined in the mount are exactly the same for every single folder and file within the partition. So in the above example if agnes adds a file to the NTFS partition it will save with owner = lm but with permissions of 777 meaning everyone will have r/w access.

t's just the opposite. All mounts to a mount point override the permissions of the mount point with their own. All mounts - NTFS, ext4, cifs, ...

The permissions of a mount point - before the partition is mounted to it - are irrelevant as they are overridden by the mount itself. Those permissions are either embedded within the partition in the case of an ext4 partition or they are defined by the mount in the case of NTFS.

So the steps are:
[1] Create the mount point
[2] If it's ext4: mount the partitions first then use chown / chmod to change permissions.
[3] If it's NTFS: the mount expression itself must contain the desired permissions since once they are set they cannot be changed without a remount.

I use at home a dual boot linux-linux laptop (let's say linuxmint xfce on one partiton and linuxmint cinnamon on another with a shared saparate /home folder) and share files at that ext4 partition and i ussually have trouble with permissions. I need to go changing permissions (not always, but often) when i create a file to allow the other user to write it. So, i was wondering if there was something with the options of fstab that i should learn to solve that, or if, instead, i should better read documentation about user/groups/permissions on linux

That's a whole different issue. Not a big fan of a shared home directory / partition.

[Laurentius]

Great anwer, altair4. As allways.

Thanks for your attention.

I will work with this tips.