Arch Linux

Lazer

Banned

Registered: 2007-08-02

Posts: 111

Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

I just installed Arch Linux on my laptop and everything have gone OK so far. But now when I've booted Arch and logged in as root and try to edit any config file I get a "Permission denied" error. For example if I type /etc/rc.conf into the console, I just get "Permission denied" back. Any help to get for a newbie?

Isomorphism

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 41

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

I just installed Arch Linux on my laptop and everything have gone OK so far. But now when I've booted Arch and logged in as root and try to edit any config file I get a "Permission denied" error. For example if I type /etc/rc.conf into the console, I just get "Permission denied" back. Any help to get for a newbie?

I am a newbie myself,
But try,

[spai@L ~]$ ls -l  /etc/rc.conf
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2987 2008-05-03 14:12 /etc/rc.conf

The "-rw"of the "-rw-r--r--" line says the owner(which is root here) can read and write.
In case your rc.conf doesnt have read write permissions for the root change it and then you can edit without any problem

Hopefully...it will work,
Isomorphism

Ghost1227

Forum Fellow

From: Omaha, NE, USA

Registered: 2008-04-21

Posts: 1,422

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

If I'm reading your post correctly, you're typing '/etc/rc.conf' to edit it. By just typing this, it is attempting to execute the file rather than open for editing. You need to open it with a text editor (I use vi, but if you're new you might want to try nano for now). Try typing 'nano /etc/rc.conf' in your terminal and going from there.

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Isomorphism

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 41

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

If I'm reading your post correctly, you're typing '/etc/rc.conf' to edit it.

Oh! You are right. How silly of me

I tried that and I got permission denied too. So you are not opening it in with a text editor.

Sorry
Isomorphism

Lazer

Banned

Registered: 2007-08-02

Posts: 111

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Well, um, I have an even more noobish question. What of that in the code box am I supposed to write into the console?

Isomorphism

Member

Registered: 2008-04-29

Posts: 41

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Well, um, I have an even more noobish question. What of that in the code box am I supposed to write into the console?

Type 'nano /etc/rc.conf'.(Without ' ')

It will open the file in "nano". Nano is a text editor where you can edit rc.conf.

Lazer

Banned

Registered: 2007-08-02

Posts: 111

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Ah, thanks. That worked.

Ghost1227

Forum Fellow

From: Omaha, NE, USA

Registered: 2008-04-21

Posts: 1,422

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Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Hey everyone's gotta start somewhere!

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Sigi

Member

From: Thurgau, Switzerland

Registered: 2005-09-22

Posts: 1,131

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

If I'm reading your post correctly, you're typing '/etc/rc.conf' to edit it.

Oh! You are right. How silly of me

I tried that and I got permission denied too. So you are not opening it in with a text editor.

Sorry
Isomorphism

And you're opening as root, right?

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tj

Member

Registered: 2008-01-11

Posts: 48

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

shouldn't that be

nano -w /etc/rc.conf

followed by
ctrl+o to write out after editing
all done as root of course

Dregath

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2009-07-07

Posts: 19

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

I've just installed Arch Linux for the first time and i'm also getting this error.
When I open it with nano and then try to save it wont let me?
I read somewhere about using the chmod command to change something as well?
Sorry if this seems stupid, im very new to linux!

rebugger

Member

From: Germany

Registered: 2007-10-28

Posts: 229

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

I'm not sure if Arch is the right distribution for "getting startet with linux". Fedora or Linux Mint (a Ubutuntu fork) might be a good start.

Dregath

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2009-07-07

Posts: 19

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Well, my computer has been dual booting with Ubuntu for the last month so I'm not that new.
But I've read a lot of good things about Arch Linux and I'm interested in giving it a go, even if it takes a bit of trial and error

Mr.Elendig

#archlinux@freenode channel op

From: The intertubes

Registered: 2004-11-07

Posts: 4,092

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

su -c "nano /etc/rc.conf"

or `su -` and then edit.

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XFire

Member

From: UK

Registered: 2008-05-11

Posts: 192

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Yeah, you may need root permissions ^^ to edit the file. During install you are by default root.

Look in the wiki for setting up sudo.

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Dregath

Member

From: Australia

Registered: 2009-07-07

Posts: 19

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Thank you, but I ended up reinstalling because I wasn't happy with my partition layout and tried it again and it worked fine, must of been something I didn't do in the installation most (I didn't go through all the config's originally so that might of been why)

Ronin-Sage

Member

Registered: 2008-10-24

Posts: 153

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Or save yourself the trouble of obscure argument/option-passing and install sudo and run "sudo vi /etc/rc.conf" or "sudo nano /etc/rc.conf" >.>

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Garns

Member

Registered: 2008-05-28

Posts: 239

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

Or save yourself the trouble of obscure argument/option-passing and install sudo and run "sudo vi /etc/rc.conf" or "sudo nano /etc/rc.conf" >.>

I don't want to get into a discussion of su vs sudo, but could you please enlighten me about the "obscureness" of su -c when calling an editor?

toad

Member

From: if only I knew

Registered: 2008-12-22

Posts: 1,775

Website

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

man su says:

-c, --command=COMMAND
              pass a single COMMAND to the shell with -c

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windtalker

Member

Registered: 2008-03-17

Posts: 220

Re: Can't edit config files on a newly installed Arch Linux

No sarcasm intended but it looks like a simple thing is being made complicated.
To prevent confusing yourself while learning just:

su    -enter
"your root password"   -enter

type:  nano /etc/rc.conf     -enter [leave a space between nano and the /]

use the arrow keys and space bar to navigate and make your changes.

to save your changes strike ctrl and x in that order followed by y for yes.

Last edited by windtalker (2009-07-07 18:26:25)