Can not write on an external USB Flash Drive

Hi Chakib, and thanks for your question.

Did you plug it in before logging in? If so, remove the drive and plug it in after you have logged in.

If that doesn't solve the problem for you, please run the following command on your Terminal (Applications » Utilities » Terminal / K » System » Konsole):

mount && echo "--------------------------------------------------" && cat /etc/fstab

And then copy&paste the printed information here.

Hello Rikku, thanks for the help. Unfortunately the problem was not resolved. I tried it again and had the same problem.

Below is the information I received after entering the command:

chakib@Ubuntu01:~$ mount && echo "--------------------------------------------------" && cat /etc/fstab
/dev/sdb2 on / type ext3 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
/sys on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
varrun on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=0755)
varlock on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev,mode=1777)
udev on /dev type tmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
devshm on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw)
devpts on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,gid=5,mode=620)
lrm on /lib/modules/2.6.22-14-generic/volatile type tmpfs (rw)
/dev/sda1 on /media/sda1 type fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,allow_other,default_permissions,blksize=4096)
/dev/sdc1 on /media/sdc1 type fuseblk (rw,nosuid,nodev,noatime,allow_other,default_permissions,blksize=4096)
securityfs on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
/dev/sdi1 on /media/4GB FLASH type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,shortname=mixed,uid=1000,utf8,umask=077,usefree)
--------------------------------------------------
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# -- This file has been automaticly generated by ntfs-config --
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>

proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
# Entry for /dev/sdb2 :
UUID=8f12da22-56bc-4b7f-8f2c-056ba4499abc / ext3 defaults,errors=remount-ro 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sda1 :
UUID=12C805EFC805D1C1 /media/sda1 ntfs defaults,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sdc1 :
UUID=CCC628EEC628DA8A /media/sdc1 ntfs defaults,umask=007,gid=46 0 1
# Entry for /dev/sdb1 :
UUID=3a50791a-b1a8-461b-a9f6-c9c8c4c2ea4c none swap sw 0 0
/dev/scd0 /media/cdrom0 udf,iso9660 user,noauto,exec 0 0
chakib@Ubuntu01:~$

Could you tell me the output of command (again, run it in Terminal)
ls -lh /media/
?

Here you go.

chakib@Ubuntu01:~$ ls -lh /media/
total 48K
drwx------ 2 chakib root 8.0K 1970-01-01 07:30 4GB FLASH
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 6 2008-02-13 04:01 cdrom -> cdrom0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4.0K 2008-02-13 04:01 cdrom0
drwxrwx--- 1 root plugdev 28K 2008-02-25 01:36 sda1
drwxrwx--- 1 root plugdev 8.0K 2008-02-24 19:07 sdc1
chakib@Ubuntu01:~$

Ok, thanks.

It seems that you have the ownership of the device. Can you create a file to the disk by running
touch /media/4GB\ FLASH/test.file

You should see file called test.file on your device (/media/4GB FLASH) after running the command above.

Yes, I see the file in it. The challenge is that it is being detected as if most of it is in use, but the flash drive is empty. Right now is detecting 3.3 GB used and the rest free. If I write more than 482MB it says the disk is full.

The permissions are read-only too.

Might seem like a silly question but regarding the the issue with the flash drive appering as full:
have you emptied the recycle/trash can of the flash drive?

Good question.. But yes, I did, and I just did it again.

Just to add, this flash drive was formatted to NTFS in Windows vista, then, I formatted it to fat32 using Windows XP. I just tried another flash drive I have and I have the same problem...

try to type ls -a when you are in the /media/4GB\ FLASH/ directory..it should show you all the contents of the drive

you might wanna use vfat instead... VFAT is an extension to FAT32 that has been used since the mid-90's, you may want to reformat to it

fat32 has an annoying filesize restriction which I believe is 3 gigs.

hmmm..maybe you should just forget the last 2 post's from me. I have read a little more about the subject and now i am not so sure...sorry..

one last thread from me.

Maybe you can use this

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/linux-newbie/19316-how-format-usb-drive.html

Thanks naufal, that solved my question.

Youre welcome..