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G.W.
Asked: 2020-09-12 04:21:45 +0800 CST

This location could not be displayed. You do not have the permissions necessary to view the contents of "USB Flash Drive"

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Using Ubuntu 20.04. I have my default "sudo" account. I created a 2nd user account (Standard account). While logged into the 2nd user account, if I insert a USB Flash Drive formated with ext4, then I get this message when trying to access files on the drive: This location could not be displayed. You do not have the permissions necessary to view the contents of "USB Flash Drive"

I have "solved" the problem by using a different USB Flash Drive formatted with FAT32. But to further my learning, I thought I would post here to see if anyone knows how to fix the problem if I were to continue to use an ext4 formatted drive. I'm assuming the fix somehow involves changing permissions, but I'm not sure what permissions.

And I realize that this subject has other similar posts on Ask Ubuntu and I have tried to analyze those fixes but I'm having trouble understanding how to relate those fixes to dealing with the permissions for a non-user detachable device like a Flash Drive.

permissions

1 Answers

  1. It is not a problem. It is a feature.

    ext4 is a linux file system that supports permissions. Thus, the root folder has a certain ownership and permissions set, which are also adopted by the mount point that is automatically created when you insert the drive.

    In order to grant different users access to the USB drive, you have, as with any drive, to set permissions.

    • You could create subfolders on the drive, and change the owner of each to the different users
    • You could change the GROUP to a group where all users that need access, belong to.
    • You could open up the permissions, so that anyone has access to the drive or to specific folders on the drive.
    • ...

    So it depends on your use case. Because the file system supports linux permissions, you have the possibility to granularity set access to the drive or specific folders of it.

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