I've been trying to make my external NTFS SSD, which holds my Steam library, mount automatically at boot using the fstab file. It worked well initially, but when I launched Steam to play Terraria, I discovered that Steam only had read access to the drive. After some troubleshooting, I learned that the issue could be resolved by installing ntfs-3g, which I eventually did using pacman. The question that's troubling me is why Steam worked perfectly fine when I manually mounted the drive using the GNOME UI, but faced issues when I set it up to mount through fstab. I initially avoided installing ntfs-3g because everything seemed fine with the manual mount. I've shared my fstab entries before and after making changes for context.
3 Answers
For additional resources, there's a helpful wiki that may provide more insights into configuring your fstab correctly. You should also consider experimenting with a virtual machine to test out configurations before applying them directly to your system. And don't forget to back up your data regularly!
The reason you're experiencing this issue is that the 'ntfs' driver may not provide full read and write capabilities, especially when it comes to applications like Steam. The 'ntfs-3g' driver is generally better for handling these cases. Maintaining proper permissions is key, so ensure your fstab includes the necessary fields for `uid` and `gid` as you did in your revised entry. It's also worth noting that while you can use NTFS with Steam, some users recommend native Linux file systems for better performance and compatibility.
It looks like the fstab entry changed when you installed ntfs-3g, which is crucial for NTFS drives on Linux. The initial 'ntfs' driver was only available in older kernels, and switching to 'ntfs-3g' allows better access for Steam. Just make sure you specify the UID and GID to ensure your user has the right permissions. The "after" entry in your fstab should work fine, but if Steam had no issues with the manual mount, it's likely because of those default permissions set during that process. Try adjusting the permissions in your fstab if necessary!
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