Backtrack 4

[joeypesci]

Don't know how anyone copes with Linux, does my head in. But experimenting. But for the life of me can't work out how to access the USB drive I have plugged into the laptop.

I've booted Backtrack 4 from this USB stick yet now want access to it, to install software that is on it for Backtrack 4. I've spent an hour trying to work out how to fing get access to it. They don't make it easy do they?

Or am I missing something :)

[digip]

Follow ths to make BackTrack installed with persistent changes: http://www.infosecramblings.com/backtrack/...-changesnessus/

or for more help, see the official BT4 site: http://www.backtrack-linux.org/tutorials/

[joeypesci]

Thanks but neither shows me how to access the USB drive. And trying to find the answer to that on their forum is a nightmare.

I've booted backtrack from the USB and can't find the command that allows me to look at the files on the USB drive. So I can install the file.

This is why I hate Linux.

[Sparda]

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=access+memory+stick+linux -> http://www.ubuntux.org/memory-stick-access

[digip]

The USB drive you are trying to access, is the one you are booting off of, correct? Is it set up as a live boot disc or did you set it up with persistent changes? Fisrt thing you need to do is see if you can make permanent changes before even beign able to install somehting, otherwise, every time you reboot, you will have to reinstall the program.

Open a console and type pwd. You should be in /root or /home/yourusername if you set up an additional user. So long as it has persistent changes (this is the USB drive itself by the way). Create a new directory with "mkdir poop". This creates a folder called poop on your desktop(if in yoru home folder). Reboot. Log back in, open a terminal and then do an "ls" comamnd. If you see the folder "poop" then you should be good to go. If it doesnt, then your drive is in Live mode and wont save any changes you make to the system anyway, so start there first.

Now, if you are inserting ADDITIONAL thumdrives to the system after booted off te backtrack thumb drive, one of two things needs to happen. 1, it will auto mount for you, and show up in the kde browser, or 2, you need to create a folder and mount the drive to it. See sparda's links.

[joeypesci]

Thanks for the help.

God darn it's a pain in the arse and so awkward. Why do people like Linux?

Anyway, while searching for an answer I decided to install backtrack 4 on the eee 1000 anyway.

Now in I've done the following and got to the USB. This is for anyone else with the same question.

Went into the gui to do all this:

startx

run and Konsole session.

while in root@bt:/# I typed the following:

sudo fdisk -l

shows a list of the plugged in devices. Mine is an 8GB stick so worked out it was the 8019mb one which is /dev/sdd1

So then did

mount /dev/sdd1 /mnt/pen

cd /mnt/pen

ls

and there you have all the files and folders on the USB drive.

Fing finally.

I know backtrack 4 isn't a Linux distro that is suppose to be for new people to Linux but are all Linux distros this unfriendly? Why is the command line used so much in Linux? That's going back to DOS days, I thought we'd move on from there hence GUI's were invented.

Anyway, thanks for the help. With the advice above and your links I've found the answers. These links helped

http://www.cyberciti.biz/tips/linux-how-to...lash-stick.html

http://www.linuxforums.org/forum/redhat-fe...mory-cards.html

Edited May 15, 2010 by joeypesci

[digip]

I know backtrack 4 isn't a Linux distro that is suppose to be for new people to Linux but are all Linux distros this unfriendly? Why is the command line used so much in Linux? That's going back to DOS days, I thought we'd move on from there hence GUI's were invented.

Actually, BT4 should see your thumb drives when plugged in under KDE's File browser. Open it and go to /:media and hit refresh after plugging in the drive, and it should show up and mount automatically. But understand, 90% of linux is done in the CLI. Its what the system is built on (a unix like environment), and the GUI is still doing CLI stuff behind the scenes. All OS's do CLI stuff behind the scenes, just windows and mac have more things setups for the GUI by default to reach their user base. After using linux a while you will eventually come to terms with the shell and how to use it and find yourself tyring to type linux commands into windows cmd windows eventually. It will throw you for a loop when you are constantly trying to "ls -al" in windows and not sure why its not working :)

I just spent the night recovering data off a damaged hdd using BT4. Actually, from the time of my last post in this thread till now, I have not slept and am still working on fixing things. The drive died as I finished my previous post, which I cut short and pointed you to Spardas link :)

Windows couldnt even see the drive any more due to bad sectors and chkdsk /F couldnt even fix it, but through the magic of linux (and a little help from my friend, hacker guru and master of all things Back Track, mati ahoroni), I was able to force mount the drive and copy my important stuff off to a new HDD using the BT4 DVD, so don't avoid the "power of the dark side", I mean the power of the CLI. For what its worth, linux has a lot of value, even if it is a pain in the ass to learn.

[joeypesci]

I guess it has it's uses then :)

Also I see a lot of people using the green text on black background to look old skool. It could be wrong, but I read an article some years ago that the reason CLI's moved away from this setup was they realised it was bad for your eyes.

[Sparda]

I guess it has it's uses then :)

Also I see a lot of people using the green text on black background to look old skool. It could be wrong, but I read an article some years ago that the reason CLI's moved away from this setup was they realised it was bad for your eyes.

Possible, green is one of the colours that human eyes have difficulty seeing (compared to white and red).

However, the old black/green CRTs also did things to eye caused by low refresh rates and blurry of text. Just use the defaults, defaults are always good, unless they are bad defaults (but what defines a bad default?).

[joeypesci]

"(but what defines a bad default?)"

A default that is bad :)

Ba da boom!

I'll get my coat :)

[barry99705]

Possible, green is one of the colours that human eyes have difficulty seeing (compared to white and red).

However, the old black/green CRTs also did things to eye caused by low refresh rates and blurry of text. Just use the defaults, defaults are always good, unless they are bad defaults (but what defines a bad default?).

Actually we see green the best, followed by red then blue. That's why night vision goggles' screens are green, we can distinguish more shades of it.