File permissions will not let me copy files to other hard drives

Correct file permissions are one of the best mechanism to keep Ubuntu and all Unix safe...

So (fortunately the user) cannot disable the permissions but it can change the permission if the file are owned by the user...

The file are yours but the system is a multi user system even you are the only one that have access to the computer.

If you don't want to manage permission please feel free to buy Win7 so even virus or malware can access to all your system files.

As a sugggestion please try to understand the file permissions, please tell what are you want to do...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filesystem_permissions

Give yourself permission first.
Start the File Manager FROM A TERMINAL with the command: gksudo nautilus
Then you can copy and paste between Hard Drives using the File Manager.

With the arochester method you can do all you want... because you use nautilus as root user the powerful user of the system.

But please do not always use this method because doing this you can break the owner and the permissions of files...

I still insist my best suggestion is: please learn the file permission system in Ubuntu.

Hope this helps

I do not know how to be more succinct.
One of the MAIN things we do with our computers is - BACK-UP files.
All I want to do is back-up my files to another hard drive.
I DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING BUT DRAG AND DROP.
I do not understand why I have to do anything SPECIAL.
Shouldn't this be a normal operation that does not require sudo permission?

The system says " the permissions of my newly added hard drive can not be determined.
WHY?

Yes i can do this so i still suggest you to take a look to file permissions...
Please plug your hard drive if it is an external drive and please copy and paste the result of

mount

terminal command

Based on result of previous command then we can check the permissions of the files on that external device.

These are my files, not system files. How are hackers going to bork my system accessing my MP3 files?

bt@bt-desktop:~$ mount
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,errors=remount-ro)
proc on /proc type proc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys type sysfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /sys/fs/fuse/connections type fusectl (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/debug type debugfs (rw)
none on /sys/kernel/security type securityfs (rw)
none on /dev type devtmpfs (rw,mode=0755)
none on /dev/pts type devpts (rw,noexec,nosuid,gid=5,mode=0620)
none on /dev/shm type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,nodev)
none on /var/run type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
none on /var/lock type tmpfs (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
none on /lib/init/rw type tmpfs (rw,nosuid,mode=0755)
/dev/sda1 on /data2 type ext4 (rw)
/dev/sda1 on /data3 type ext4 (rw)
binfmt_misc on /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc type binfmt_misc (rw,noexec,nosuid,nodev)
gvfs-fuse-daemon on /home/bt/.gvfs type fuse.gvfs-fuse-daemon (rw,nosuid,nodev,user=bt)
/dev/sr0 on /media/BEAVIS_BUTTHEAD_VOL2_D1 type udf (ro,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks,uid=1000,gid=1000,iocharset=utf8,umask=0077)
/dev/sdb1 on /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad type ext3 (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks)

i assuming the destination disk is /dev/sdb1 please copy and paste the result of this terminal command:

ls -l /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad

Thanks

bt@bt-desktop:~$ ls -l /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad
total 16
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 2010-07-31 08:30 lost+found

You should not need to manually copy and paste for backup...

Perhaps your question should be " How do I backup with Ubuntu?"

Have a look at http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Lucid#System_Backup_and_Recovery

I need a check please try to create an empty file on that device... from terminal type:

cd /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad

touch temporary

copy and paste the result of

ls -l

Weird, 3rd time trying to send more info- nothing happens after clicking except firefox reload to same screen???
Yes that is destination internal hard drive just added and formated on this computer running Ultimate 2.7, (10.04) with all current updates.

bt@bt-desktop:~$ ls -l /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad
total 16
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 2010-07-31 08:30 lost+found
bt@bt-desktop:~$ cd /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ \
>
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ touch temporary
touch: cannot touch `temporary': Permission denied
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$

won't go back to prompt, what do I do now?

bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ ls -l
total 16
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 2010-07-31 08:30 lost+found
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$

ok there are some permissions restriction on your mount point please give me the result of:

ls -l /media

bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ ls -l /media
total 10
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-07-31 08:30 bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad
dr-x------ 4 bt bt 136 2006-03-16 10:06 BEAVIS_BUTTHEAD_VOL2_D1
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 2010-07-04 11:09 floppy -> floppy0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2010-07-04 11:09 floppy0
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$

thanks for helping

ok the mount point is owned by root

drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 2010-07-31 08:30 bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad

and you your user cannot write on that directory so please change the permissions of the mount point type:

sudo chmod 777 /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad

give your user password when requested, you don't see nothing when you type it, then press enter.

Then to check you can write on that device type:

cd /media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad

touch temporary

copy and paste the result of

ls -l

Then if you get no error try to copy your mp3 using nautilus

Am I wrong?
Shouldn't this not be an issue?
Shouldn't everything have the correct permissions to do what I want to do, automatically?

I don't understand "touch temporary".

bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ ls -l
total 16
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 2010-07-31 08:30 lost+found
-rw-r--r-- 1 bt bt 0 2010-07-31 10:36 temporary
bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$

To understand touch command type in terminal:

man touch

Then in my env when i mount an usb stick the system give me right permission i use the user danilo here and the permissions are:

ls -l /media

drwx------ 14 danilo danilo 4096 1970-01-01 01:00 1C95-4493

mount command give me this mount point

/dev/sdb1 on /media/1C95-4493 type vfat (rw,nosuid,nodev,uhelper=udisks,uid=1000,gid=1000,shortname=mixed,dmask=0077,utf8=1,flush)

Please give me the result of id command so from terminal type:

id

bt@bt-desktop:/media/bca4f5af-1925-491d-90b3-4d488abdfaad$ id
uid=1000(bt) gid=1000(bt) groups=4(adm),20(dialout),24(cdrom),46(plugdev),105(lpadmin),119(admin),129(sambashare),1000(bt)

Here my user id my user is member of more groups then your:

uid=1000(danilo) gid=1000(danilo) groups=4(adm),20(dialout),21(fax),24(cdrom),25(floppy),26(tape),29(audio),30(dip),40(src),44(video),46(plugdev),103(pulse-access),110(netdev),111(lpadmin),113(powerdev),114(scanner),115(davfs2),118(admin),119(fuse),127(mldonkey),135(pulse),142(sambashare),159(vboxusers),1000(danilo)

So please open the menu System→Administration→User and groups and check the permissions of your user please give all permissions using the "Advanced settings" go to "Users Priviledges" and set all permissions

Ok, now I can copy files.
Why are these settings not default? And please list what was wrong and what we just changed.
Thanks, BT

i suppose was only restricted user permissions here so

Please using nautilus umount your external device...

Then copy and paste the result of this terminal command:

mount

and

ls -l /media

hard drive is internal - both

currently copying files, 300+gb, 1 hour to go.

Hey, while I'm waiting for copying to finish I have another small issue:
I manually ejected the beavis and butthead dvd and loaded ultimate 2.7 to copy for a friend and the screen still says beavis and butthead and the system has not read the newly inserted disk.
This has been happening recently since an update. When I look at "my places" there are entries for ultimate 2.7, blank dvd, and beavis and butthead dvd that no longer exist. I only have two dvd drives.
when I then click on the new dvd, (ultimate 2.7), it will replace the beavis and butthead on the desktop.
Any idea what is wrong?

I was wrong, clicking on the places does nothing.
tried unmount beavis and butthead and computer tried to write to ultimate 2.7 and failed obviously, and would not unmount.
Ejected the media again and the syst unmounted.
reinserted beavis and butthead dvd and right clicked on the dvd and clicked eject and syst tried to write to dvd and took about a minute to finally eject.
Why is syst trying to write to a finalized dvd that can not be written to?
 Why won't syst unmount when media is ejected?

WOW, NOW HAVE NEW PROBLEM.
Can not copy disk cause syst trying to write to un-writable dvd, and ejects blank media dvd with error saying dvd busy. Did not eject ultimate 2.7, but un-mounted it.

Checking session consistency (brasero_burn_check_session_consistency brasero-burn.c:1741)
Session error : The drive is busy. Make sure another application is not using it (brasero_burn_record brasero-burn.c:2839)

no other syst using it at time.

Just tried again and it appears that when I right click and click "copy disk" the system starts trying to un-mount disk at same time as copy. Copy fails, dvd un-mounts, and blank dvd ejects.
REALLY EMBARRASSING WHEN I AM TRYING TO CONVERT A WINDOWS USER TO LINUX AND CAN'T COPY THE DISK IN FRONT OF HIM.

OK, something you had me do in terminal must of left the dvd drive mounted is use. My file transfer finished and I have now re-booted and copying dvd while I'm typing. Hopfully have another convert here.
Pleas educate me as to what was wrong initally and what we just did other than the changes I made in "users and groups".
THANKS AGAIN, BT

PLEASE, a little more help.
Somethings still wrong with unmount. A dialog box with a bouncing bar saying:
Writing data to "1.5 TB Filesystem" - to prevent data loss, wait until this has finished before removing media or disconnecting the device.
It does not finish or stop. Is it doing a file check before un-mounting, or is something wrong?

X-ed the box closed and:
bt@bt-desktop:~$ ls -l /media
total 4
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 2010-07-04 11:09 floppy -> floppy0
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 2010-07-04 11:09 floppy0
bt@bt-desktop:~$

Now can not mount 1.5 TB:
A job is pending on /dev/sdb1

 P.S. After the terminal closed.

rebooted and works fine now, something left running in terminal after closing from that command?

Ok, dvd issue seams to be terminal related anyway, but could you please explain how you fixed this for me. Will I or some one else have to do this on every fresh install?

Hi,

I have made close to one hundred Ubuntu installs (from Ubuntu 6.06 til 10.04), I never had your problem.

The solution given by Marcobra was, if I understood it well, to fix your rights. Normally the user installing the system gets id number 1000 (so you were that user) and has administration rights. if you go in System > Administration > Users and Groups, you can check your rights (nearly all by default but 2 if I remember well under 10.04 lTS).

One right is important which is "fuse" that allows the suer to mount external devices (typically USB keys and drives). From your id command output, I did'nt see fuse listed, which was likeley one of the source of your problems.

Thanks marcobra (Marco Braida), that solved my question.