MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Quick to answer questions about finding your way around Linux Mint as a new user.
Forum rules
There are no such things as "stupid" questions. However if you think your question is a bit stupid, then this is the right place for you to post it. Stick to easy to-the-point questions that you feel people can answer fast. For long and complicated questions use the other forums in the support section.
Before you post read how to get help. Topics in this forum are automatically closed 6 months after creation.
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

What you're going to have to do since you can't get the partition rw is boot the live media and mount /dev/sda1 to /mnt in order to make the necessary changes

However I think modifying fstab might just be scratching the surface of your problems.

You listed the file's mode as -rw- rw- r-- and mine is -rw-r--r--

So clearly the access mode was changed :?
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

ok - I ran this and got into nano with write ability

Code: Select all

mount -o remount,rw /
However, am looking at the nano output for my primary disc /dev/sdb1 and I have no idea what to adjust.

It is showing the same data as before including the error re swap.

NB my primary disc is an ssd hence the reason why I put swap on a HDD.

Sorry to be such a drain - what now ?
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

Unfortunately at this point I'm totally confused. But, in my defense, it doesn't take much to confuse me.

If you boot to the live media and mount your linux partition you'll be able to run firefox in order to paste results back here. It will significantly simplify things.

When you're ready paste back

Code: Select all

cat /mnt/etc/fstab
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

ok - however, I am a tad confused by your instructions:
If you boot to the live media
You mean burn a new 17.2 disc and then boot off the disc ??

I can do a cat on fstab and get the data now through the terminal, ok .. I have to type it out here, rather that cut and paste.

This might help: Forget about /sda That is a HDD where originally I had a Windows / Linux dual boot installed. Then I went and bought a SSD and installed Linux all over again, whilst keeping the /sda HDD as a back up disc. I could have/should have deleted the /sda partition but did not. sda has all kinds of partitions on it as it was a dual boot disc.

So .... Linux installed itself on the new SSD and called that /sdb. To my mind for the moment this is the only disc that matters. That is were Mint 17.2 is installed.

As said before I CAN write to etc/fstab on sdb.

Do you still want me to burn a live disc and boot from it etc etc ? I will if you say so.
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

Correction - I CAN write to fstab
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

I think using the live media would make things easier.

In any event what do these return

Code: Select all

grep -v ^# /etc/fstab

Code: Select all

grep vmlinus /boot/grub/grub.cfg
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

the first command returns:

Code: Select all

UUID = Big Long number of PRIMARY BOOT SSD  / ext4 noatime errors=remount-ro 0 1
UUID= Big Long number   none  swap sw 0 0 
/dev/disk/by-uuid/LONG NUMBER /mnt/LONG NUMBER auto nosuid, no dev, nofail, x-gvfs-show 0 0 
The second command gives nothing

Please confirm, by "Live CD" you mean to burn a disc with iso Mint 17.2 ??
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

IMHO you should burn a disc with iso Mint 17.2 and reinstall.

The grep of /boot/grub/grub.cfg was a typo on my part which explains why there were no results, but the fstab entries you're manually typing would require a clairvoyant to know it's right :?
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

ok - I am downloading a disc now ... but I have a lot of stuff on my machine which I would rather not loose ... so I would rather not reinstall. Last resort.

also, once I have the disc, I could perhaps provide better data.

I think that when I updated my fstab I omitted to add a swap ... and that might have given the error. Are having a swap obligatory ??
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

You can get away without an fstab file. After you mount to /mnt

Code: Select all

grep vmlinuz /mnt/boot/grub/grub.cfg

Code: Select all

grep -v ^# /mnt/etc/fstab

Code: Select all

sudo blkid
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

I can see that I am just not typing out my fstab instructions correctly. I get an error message:

[mntent]:Line 15 in /etc/fstab is bad - this is where I entered the primary disc instructions

same thing for line 16 - this is where I entered the swap disc.

Prior to that there is a whole load of commented out remarks ## about prior installs

I just wrote my instructions with a couple of spaces and then entered them in.

as for all your commands, I am not sure what you want me to do with them, I guess report on them ..

I have downloaded a 17.2 disc and can burn it now.
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

First off disregard this
WharfRat wrote:You can get away without an fstab file. After you mount to /mnt
I meant to say you can get away without a swap partition
vincej wrote:as for all your commands, I am not sure what you want me to do with them, I guess report on them ..
paste the output
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

ok - I have the burned cd ... if I boot from it, Mint will want to install ... how do I load it so I can read the files you want ?
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

vincej wrote:ok - I have the burned cd ... if I boot from it, Mint will want to install ... how do I load it so I can read the files you want ?
Open the terminal application from the menu
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

I can't believe it .. I have now burned 3 discs. 2 on Microsoft burn utility and 1 on ImgBurn ...I have verified the discs and I have checked the md5 ... none will load. Each time I get an error: Disck I/O error, Replace disk and press any key ...

All I am doing is "Write Image File to Disc" - Correct ???

ps what time zone are you in ??

I am in GMT -7
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

vincej wrote:I can't believe it .. I have now burned 3 discs. 2 on Microsoft burn utility and 1 on ImgBurn ...I have verified the discs and I have checked the md5 ... none will load. Each time I get an error: Disck I/O error, Replace disk and press any key ...

All I am doing is "Write Image File to Disc" - Correct ???

ps what time zone are you in ??

I am in GMT -7
I haven't used any windows applications in years, but ImgBurn sounds like it should be doing what you want it to do.

In mint I use

Code: Select all

cdrecord -v speed=2  dev=/dev/dvd ~Downloads/linuxmint-17.2-mate-64bit.iso
I don't know where GMT -7 is :? My setting is America/New_York
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

What I meant was, where are you located. I am in Mountain Time. Are you Eastern Time ??

Well ... I have now tried a different brand of DVD and still the same I/O error.

I must have wasted 3 discs.

Now I see that to create a bootable dvd it has to be a RAW IMAGE not a bootable iso ... so back to the drawing board ... going to try a usb now ... Windows anyone ??? :)
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

vincej wrote:Now I see that to create a bootable dvd it has to be a RAW IMAGE not a bootable iso ... so back to the drawing board ... going to try a usb now ... Windows anyone ??? :)
You can get the iso file from http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php
vincej wrote:What I meant was, where are you located. I am in Mountain Time. Are you Eastern Time ??
Yes
vincej
Level 3
Level 3
Posts: 134
Joined: Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:28 pm
Location: Alberta | Canada

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by vincej »

Ok - I put it on a USB and believe it or not, it booted ... I have a terminal screen open !! I have firefox open !!

Code: Select all

mint@mint ~ $ grep -v ^# /etc/fstab
overlayfs / overlayfs rw 0 0
tmpfs /tmp tmpfs nosuid,nodev 0 0
/dev/sda6 swap swap defaults 0 0

Code: Select all

mint@mint ~ $ sudo blkid
/dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs" 
/dev/sda1: SEC_TYPE="msdos" LABEL="DellUtility" UUID="5450-4444" TYPE="vfat" 
/dev/sda2: LABEL="RECOVERY" UUID="2838A46238A430AC" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda3: LABEL="Windows Files" UUID="740AA6ED0AA6AC14" TYPE="ntfs" 
/dev/sda5: LABEL="Old Linux" UUID="6f3ea589-26c0-4c91-aa16-4557ab1f66eb" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sda6: UUID="407c12ce-f44b-4a6b-92c2-38aac893c677" TYPE="swap" 
/dev/sdb1: UUID="48e799f9-8caa-41f5-8854-733f972194a6" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sdc1: LABEL="UUI" UUID="AC85-5737" TYPE="vfat" 

Code: Select all

 grep vmlinuz /boot/grub/grub.cfg
grep: /boot/grub/grub.cfg: No such file or directory
Mint 20.4 | Cinnamon | Ryzen 7 3800x| RTX 1060 graphics card | 32GB ram
WharfRat

Re: MDM Could Not write to your authorization file

Post by WharfRat »

Good, but two out of three results were useless. It's showing the dvd's files.

Code: Select all

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt

Code: Select all

grep -v ^# /mnt/etc/fstab

Code: Select all

grep vmlinuz /mnt/boot/grub/grub.cfg
Locked

Return to “Beginner Questions”