Fresh from the world of Microsoft’s Windows (I’m absolutely DONE with Microsoft) I jumped into the world of Linux by installing Ubuntu on my brand new PC hoping that once I would understand Ubuntu well enough I would be able to install and run it on my other two devices and ditching Windows forever.
But of course, I’m running into issues I have no idea how to solve.
One of them being that because I have so many hard drives as a videographer I prefer to connect my hard drives with a docking station that can take up to twice 18TB HDD’s (which of course I have).
There have been no issues on Windows in the past and I had hoped this trend would continue on Linux.
However, right off the bat, as I transferred new files from an SD card onto one of the drives, some of the files I had copied ‘‘successfully’’ had mysteriously vanished upon reopening the folder which had me worried.
After reopening the folder a few times more and not finding the files I had already copied, Ubuntu started thinking real hard about reopening the folder yet again by ‘‘loading’’ forever and seemingly being stuck on that.
After attempting unmounting the drive which didn’t seem to have any effect I decided unplugging the drive from the Ubuntu computer and plugging the drive into my Windows running tablet.
After repairing the drive on Windows I had access to all of the video files I was sure I had copied on the Ubuntu PC.
Until I know what went wrong and how to fix this I think it’s best not to alter the drive in any way on the Ubuntu PC and just do read only as it would be disastrous if something were to happen to the drive and it would end up getting corrupted somehow.
Apart from this it takes an exceptionally long time for the Ubuntu PC to access the drives after I’ve connected them.
And I mean it takes about a full minute, if not a tad longer, before Ubuntu actually allows me to browse these drives.
I have no idea if this is normal, but compared to my experiences I’ve had on Windows computers it strikes me as very odd.
Obviously I would like to know what went wrong here, how to fix this issue and what to do in the future if something like this were to occur again.
Also, I wonder if there is a way for the Ubuntu PC to grant me access to the drives faster.
Of course, if Ubuntu has necessary business to attend to before I can access the drives, I would have no problem with it provided it doesn’t change its mind later down the line (haha).
Please bear in mind that I am super new to this stuff so please be precise if you are kind enough to help me out.
Thanks very much in advance!
It sounds like you’re experiencing a couple of common issues when transitioning from Windows to Linux, particularly regarding file system compatibility and drive mounting behavior. Let’s address these problems one at a time to help you get more comfortable with your Ubuntu setup.
File Disappearance and Drive Corruption
The issue with files disappearing after being copied to a hard drive via Ubuntu, and the subsequent need to repair the drive in Windows, likely stems from differences in file system formats and their compatibility between Windows and Linux.
File System Compatibility: Windows primarily uses NTFS for its file system, while Linux has native support for file systems like ext4. Ubuntu can read and write NTFS drives, but there might be issues with permissions, metadata, or features that are not fully supported by the NTFS-3G driver (the open-source NTFS driver for Linux).
Safely Unmounting Drives: It’s crucial to safely unmount drives in Linux before disconnecting them to ensure all data has been properly written and to prevent file system corruption. Use the umount command or the eject option in the file manager before unplugging your drives.
Solutions and Precautions
Ensure NTFS Support: Make sure the ntfs-3g package is installed on your Ubuntu system for better NTFS compatibility. You can install it via the terminal:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ntfs-3g
Use Sync Command: After copying files, use the sync command in the terminal before unmounting the drive. This ensures that all write operations have been completed.
Safely Unmount: Always unmount your drives safely. You can do this from the file manager or by using the umount command in the terminal, replacing /dev/sdx1 with your drive’s actual device ID:
sudo umount /dev/sdx1
Speeding Up Drive Access
The delay in accessing drives might be due to Ubuntu checking the file system’s integrity or trying to mount the drives properly. This delay can be more noticeable with large-capacity drives or if there’s an issue with the drive’s file system.
Disable Automatic Mount: Try disabling automatic mounting and see if manually mounting the drives speeds up the process. You can manage automatic mount settings through the Disks utility in Ubuntu.
Check Drive Health: Ensure your drives are healthy. High capacity and extensive usage can lead to slower access times. You can check the health of your drives with the smartmontools package:
sudo apt install smartmontools
sudo smartctl -a /dev/sdx
Learning More
As you’re new to Ubuntu and Linux in general, it’s a great idea to familiarize yourself with the terminal, as it’s a powerful tool for managing your system, including drives and file systems. Online resources, forums like Ask Ubuntu, and the Ubuntu manual (man) command for specific tools (e.g., man ntfs-3g) are invaluable for learning.
Transitioning to a new operating system can have its challenges, but with time and a bit of patience, you’ll find Linux to be a robust and versatile platform. If you run into specific issues or have more questions, don’t hesitate to ask!