No, this certainly wouldn't work for two fundamental reasons. Look again at the output you sent along in your message from fdisk. What is hda1? Sure doesn't look to me like a Windows partition? Looks to me like your Windows partition is hda3. The mount command you gave is also wrong. Essentially, this command is mount [what-type] [what] [where]. You're missing a space between the what and the where. The type, vfat, looks correct. Of course, as I just said, the what is wrong, because your Windows is not in hda1. The where is completely missing in your command. Try this command instead: mount -t vfat /dev/hda3 /dos Now, if you leave the /dev/hda3 entry in your fstab (which looks correct to me), you could simply do: mount /dos if, in fact, this mount isn't accomplished automatically. PS: What's with the -p in your mkdir command? What's that supposed to do? PSS: Judging from your fdisk output, you don't have much of a working linux installation. You have a huge linux swap partition (hda4), and a very small, and probably not very functional linux partition -- hda1. I would redo my partitions, giving about 500 mB to the / partition, restricting swap to about twice the size of your RAM, and dividing the rest between two partitions /usr and /home. Alsok, I would not install X, unless you're willing to live with relatively little in the way of file space for your data files in /home. Another approach you might want to consider, is to size down your Windows partition to something closer to it's actual data size, i.e. if you have 1.5 gB of Windows programs, make hda3 2 gB. Take the remaining for a /home formatted as vfat. That way you could see the same data files whether you're in linux or Windows. And, you'd have enough room for X, not that X is accessible yet, but some access for GNOME is on the horizon. On Mon, 18 Feb 2002 PRASADSL@iocl.co.in wrote: > thanks every body you who showed concern but i am sorry that i could not do > the things > > basically what i did was as root igave > mkdir -p /dos > mount -t vfat /dev/hda1/dos > > the command showed no errors ( as it happens almost always in linux :) > but when i went inside the dir there was none in it ...neigther was some > thing in the /mnt dir > i also tried editing /etc/fstab but of no use > > basically here is my hard disk ...if you want some more info plz call me > .....i have a lot of things to ask if this problem is solved ....you know i > am a damn newbie and passionate for linux > > result of fdisk > > device boot start end blocks ID system > /dev/hda1 1972 2513 409752 83 linux > /dev/hda2 1294 1971 5125680 f win95 Ext'd(LBA) > /dev/hda3 * 1 1022 7726288+ b win95 FAT32 > /dev/hda4 1023 1293 2948760 82 LInux Swap > /dev/hda5 1294 1971 5125648+ b win95 FAT32 > > > > my mtab file : > > /dev/hda1 / ext2 rw 0 0 > none /proc proc rw 0 0 > usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs rw 0 0 > none /dev/pts devpts rw,gid=5,mode=620 0 0 > /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy vfat rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0 > > > my fstab file : > > LABEL=/ / ext2 defaults 1 1 > /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom iso9660 noauto,owner,ro 0 0 > /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy auto noauto,owner 0 0 > none /proc proc defaults 0 0 > none /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0 > /dev/hda4 swap swap defaults 0 0 > /dev/hda3 /dos vfat defaults 1 0 > > the last line i tried putting after making a dir in / as dos > > and regarding the disclaimer , i am helpless as it is attached automatically > when this piece of paper leaves our network....i do not fine our admin good > enough to talk :) > > thanx in advance > > see i am totally new to this world , you guys have to teach me word by > word > > > > **************************************************************************** > This electronic communication and any accompanying document is being > transmitted over the Indian Oil Network and contains confidential > information that is for the exclusive use of the individual or entity to > which it is addressed and is protected against unauthorised disclosure. 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