Re: [tlug] Trouble with external USB hard disk

["Stephen J. Turnbull" <stephen@example.com>]

Nguyen Vu Hung writes:
 > > root@example.com:~# mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /etc
 > > can't link lock file /etc/mtab~: Operation not permitted (use -n flag to
 > > override)
 > > root@example.com:~# mount -t vfat /dev/sdb1 /etc -n
 > > mount: /dev/sdb1 already mounted or /etc busy
 > Bug! /dev/sdb1 is not listed in the output of "mount".

No bug.  The first mount succeeded, then hid /etc so that mount
couldn't manipulate /etc/mtab*.  That doesn't prevent the mount from
succeeding, it's just that /etc/mtab is not useful.  Then the second
mount found that /dev/sdb1 was already mounted, which is a hard
failure.