ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

blgrace · 2025-08-01 00:30:11

I recently dumped windows for Arch linux.
Now, for some reason, two of my drives will only mount as read only.
I've wiped them and reformatted but it doesn't help.

I have fast boot and secure boot disabled in the bios and windows in no longer installed on any of my drives.
I can mount ntfs drives rw no issue - just the newly formatted ext4 nvme drives refuse to mount rw

Any ideas on how to fix this.
Kind regards

Last edited by blgrace (2025-08-01 20:01:20)

blgrace · 2025-08-01 03:14:49

I reformatted both problem drives as ntfs and they both mount.
I don't understand why I can't mount them after formatting to ext4 . . .

Last edited by blgrace (2025-08-01 04:54:43)

seth · 2025-08-01 06:23:23

Please don't paraphrase, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855

mount

would show whether the drive is *actually* mounted ro, but what's most likely happening is that your UID simply has no write access to the root node of the partition (which is default and normal - you cannot "touch /foo" either.

touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/foo # fails
sudo touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/foo # works

You're looking at a real filesystem and will have to properly control ownerships and permissions

sudo mkdir /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER
sudo chown $USER:$USER /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER
touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER/foo

blgrace · 2025-08-01 09:27:45

seth wrote:

Please don't paraphrase, https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=57855
mount
would show whether the drive is *actually* mounted ro, but what's most likely happening is that your UID simply has no write access to the root node of the partition (which is default and normal - you cannot "touch /foo" either.
touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/foo # fails
sudo touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/foo # works
You're looking at a real filesystem and will have to properly control ownerships and permissions
sudo mkdir /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER
sudo chown $USER:$USER /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER
touch /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER/foo

I'm very sorry, I don't understand those instructions.

sudo mkdir /run/media/$USER/ex4_drive/$USER

Returns: cannot create directory ‘/run/media/blgrace/ex4_drive/blgrace’ no such file or directory.

seth · 2025-08-01 12:56:15

"ex4_drive" was (a typo, meant ext4_drive - but more importantly) a placeholder for your ext4 partition, mounted into that path.

blgrace · 2025-08-01 20:00:48

Seems it was leftover Windows gremlin shenanigans.
I disconnected the data cables to the two troublesome drives.
Reset bios to "optimized defaults", then disabled fast boot and secure boot.
Reconnected data cables and et voila . . .
Created two directories in /mnt to mount the drives - edited fstab and now they automount RW

Anyway - thanks for your help.

Arch Linux

#1 2025-08-01 00:30:11

ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

#2 2025-08-01 03:14:49

Re: ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

#3 2025-08-01 06:23:23

Re: ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

#4 2025-08-01 09:27:45

Re: ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

#5 2025-08-01 12:56:15

Re: ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

#6 2025-08-01 20:00:48

Re: ext4 drives mounting read only [SOLVED]

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