Disk write error due to read-only filesystem (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) by biofaust@lemmy.world to c/linux_gaming@lemmy.ml

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Disclaimer: I am very new to Linux (1 week).

I have installed the Valve version of Steam on LMDE6. I have used Disks to automatically mount the NTFS drive I used with Windows (doesn't hold bootloader, it is just for Steam library storage) at boot ( /media/[username]/Gaming ) and I made it the default library folder in Steam.

Running games works perfectly (actually, performance is surprisingly good), but I cannot install them due to a "disk write error".

I looked for solutions and found this page, from which I understand that I need to change permissions to the mounting point, but when I do, using chown -R, I get a "Read-only filesystem" error for all files and folders.

I can see no options to fix this in Disks and I tried to edit fstab once, but it messed things up so badly I had to use the USB drive with the portable installer to fix things.

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[-] solofroto@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

Did you get this fixed?

[-] biofaust@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago

Only temporarily using the Shifted Reboot from Windows. I wanted to update and thanks when I would have move the Library to an ext4 or exFAT, but I had no time to play nor work on this lately.

[-] solofroto@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

If I'm not mistaken, when you mount whatever you're mounting, you need to specify the read/write permissions with the mount parameters. Trying to change the permissions after it's already been mounted won't work, afaik.

[-] biofaust@lemmy.world 1 points 4 days ago

I had modified the automounting parameters already, but there was something Windows-side that made it impossible to write anyway. Shift-shutdown on Windows helped, but it's just a hack. Next step is to find a drive that would allow me to move all my stuff, and the Steam library on an exFAT or ext4 partition.

[-] solofroto@lemmy.ml 2 points 4 days ago

Okay I need a bit more information. Are you dual booting Linux with Windows? Tell me more about how this is setup, including what drives you're talking about

[-] CommanderCloon@lemmy.ml 7 points 1 week ago

NTFS is not very well supported in linux, you should reformat

[-] CaptainBasculin@lemmy.bascul.in 5 points 1 week ago

You can disable fast boot on Windows to remove the read only lock.

Please note that it is not a suggested way to run, nor install games. A program could modify the disk in a way Windows itself can't parse it, rendering it unbootable.

[-] biofaust@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Thanks for the info!

It is a hack-y way to keep playing while I transition fully from Windows.

this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025

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