Ubuntu

Unable to access mp3 files

Asked by Bob Gaines

Until today I have no problem adding or deleting files in my mp3 player, and now I can't. I haven't made any changes in the Sansa setup.

I just started using Jaunty about a month ago, so I don't yet really understand permissions.

I'm not sure whether this is what the permissions should be for an mp3 player:

gaines@gaines-desktop:~$ cd /media
gaines@gaines-desktop:/media$ ls -l
total 28
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 6 2009-07-14 17:21 cdrom -> cdrom0
drwxrwxrwx 2 root root 4096 2009-07-14 17:21 cdrom0
drwx------ 5 gaines root 16384 1969-12-31 17:00 SANSA M240
drwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8192 2009-08-25 17:56 XP partition
gaines@gaines-desktop:/media$ ls -l /SANSA M240
ls: cannot access /SANSA: No such file or directory
ls: cannot access M240: No such file or directory

I also don't understand why I can see the individual mp3 files in Nautilus but can't display them in the terminal.

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Bob Gaines
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Federico Vera (fedevera) said : 		#1

This is not a permissions Issue, is just a misspelling. To access a folder (or a file) with a name composed by a string with spaces "SANSA M240" you must specify the space. Also, if you start a path with '/' the system will assume you mean an absolute path. The correct way would be:
ls -l /media/SANSA\ M240

Revision history for this message
Federico Vera (fedevera) said : 		#2

I forgot, note that there's a space between 'SANSA\' and 'M240'. The easiest way to avoid this kind of things is using the "autocomplete system" which is to say start typing the name of the command, application or path and press the tabulator [tab] (this will complete it, or present a list of options which start the same way)

hope it help!

Revision history for this message
Bob Gaines (gaines) said : 		#3

Frederico - Thanks! This is very helpful in being able to display the
files in the folder SANSA M240:

gaines@gaines-desktop:~$ ls -l /media/SANSA\ M240/
total 116784
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 24782348 2009-08-24 11:53 afghanstrategy.mp3
drwx------ 2 gaines root 16384 1979-12-31 23:00 AUDIBLE
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 22316070 2009-08-19 11:06 dean.mp3
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 24746194 2009-08-19 11:07 lobbyists.mp3
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 660040 1979-12-31 23:00 MTABLE.SYS
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 24749329 2009-08-19 11:08 pakistan.mp3
drwx------ 2 gaines root 16384 1979-12-31 23:00 RECORD
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 657 1979-12-31 23:00 RES_INFO.SYS
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 22188016 2009-08-22 10:57 Rory.mp3
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 128 1979-12-31 23:00 SYS_CONF.SYS
-rwx------ 1 gaines root 81 1979-12-31 23:00 version.sdk
gaines@gaines-desktop:~$

However, I still can't delete (or add) files:

gaines@gaines-desktop:~$ rm /media/SANSA\ M240/dean.mp3
rm: cannot remove `/media/SANSA M240/dean.mp3': Read-only file system
gaines@gaines-desktop:~$

I don't understand why I don't have that permission. Any suggestions?

Federico Vera wrote:
> Your question #81056 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/81056
>
> Federico Vera proposed the following answer:
> I forgot, note that there's a space between 'SANSA\' and 'M240'. The
> easiest way to avoid this kind of things is using the "autocomplete
> system" which is to say start typing the name of the command,
> application or path and press the tabulator [tab] (this will complete
> it, or present a list of options which start the same way)
>
> hope it help!
>

--
Bob Gaines
<email address hidden>
52 Estambre Road
Santa Fe, NM 87508
505-466-1746 (voice and fax)

War settles nothing.

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Revision history for this message
Federico Vera (fedevera) said : 		#4

Well if you want to try deleting them with root privileges (or run any app with them) you could use sudo. Like this:

sudo rm /media/SANSA\ M240/dean.mp3

This will ask you for your password, and execute rm with the highest permissions...
But remember, "with great power comes great responsibility" =) (a.k.a. USE IT CAREFULLY...)

Revision history for this message
Bob Gaines (gaines) said : 		#5

Frederico - I tried your suggestion:

gaines@gaines-desktop:~$ sudo rm /media/SANSA\ M240/dean.mp3
rm: cannot remove `/media/SANSA M240/dean.mp3': Read-only file system
gaines@gaines-desktop:~$

In looking at requests for help with "Read-only file system" I see that
it appears to be a result of the way the volume was mounted.
Unfortunately, I haven't found anything yet to help me understand how to
change the mounting.

Federico Vera wrote:
> Your question #81056 on Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/81056
>
> Status: Open => Answered
>
> Federico Vera proposed the following answer:
> Well if you want to try deleting them with root privileges (or run any
> app with them) you could use sudo. Like this:
>
> sudo rm /media/SANSA\ M240/dean.mp3
>
> This will ask you for your password, and execute rm with the highest permissions...
> But remember, "with great power comes great responsibility" =) (a.k.a. USE IT CAREFULLY...)
>

--
Bob Gaines
<email address hidden>
52 Estambre Road
Santa Fe, NM 87508
505-466-1746 (voice and fax)

War settles nothing.

-- Dwight D. Eisenhower

Revision history for this message
Bob Gaines (gaines) said : 		#6

I found a thread that helped me figure out that the problem was a corrupted file. The device then mounts as read-only to prevent further corruption:

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/3620

The solution was to reformat because apparently the file couldn't be repaired. Fortunately for me, I could download the files I needed.

Thanks to Frederico for offering suggestions!