Preventing /etc/fstab From Updating Automatically

I have been reading the various threads about /etc/fstab "magically" changing when the system starts but I haven't responded because I couldn't find the modifications that I made to my system. But I found them!

You can make some changes to the following files in the /usr/sbin directory so that you can control whether fstab is built or left alone. I am currently running SimplyMepis 3.3.1-1 so I have no knowledge whether this method will work with the 3.4+ version of Mepis and udev

All changes below must be made as user root.

The files to be modified are /usr/sbin/addfstab and /usr/sbin/buildfstab. A "configuration" file called /etc/default/buildfstab.conf needs to be created.

First, create the file /etc/default/buildfstab.conf. This is what it looks like:

#!/bin/bash
# /etc/default/buildfstab.conf
# 2005-07-19
# Jon Du Quesne


# Configuration file for /usr/sbin/buildfstab and /usr/sbin/addfstab

# If this file does not exist, then /usr/sbin/addfstab and

# /usr/sbin/buildfstab work as usual (they cause /etc/fstab to

# change dynamically.

#

# If this file exists and STATIC_FSTAB is set to 0 (no) (default)

# then /usr/sbin/addfstab and /usr/sbin/buildfstab work as usual.

#

# If this file exists and STATIC_FSTAB is set to 1 (yes)

# then /usr/sbin/addfstab and /usr/sbin/buildfstab are skipped.

# /etc/fstab will not be changed dynamically.

#

# Set STATIC_FSTAB

#

#STATIC_FSTAB=0         # Enables dynamic /etc/fstab changes

STATIC_FSTAB=1          # Disables dynamic /etc/fstab changes

Permissions are read-write for root only.

Next, modify /usr/sbin/addfstab to use the above configuration file. If STATIC_FSTAB is set to 1 then nothing will be added to /etc/fstab.

Here is my modified /usr/sbin/addfstab file (I have only included the section that I changed, marked by "jvd"):

#!/bin/bash

# Calls scanpartitions as root and adds entries to /etc/fstab


PATH="/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin"

export PATH

umask 022

# *** beg 2005-07-19 jvd ***

if [ -f /etc/default/buildfstab.conf ] ; then

   . /etc/default/buildfstab.conf

   if [ $STATIC_FSTAB != 0 ] ; then

      exit 0

   fi

fi

# *** end 2005-07-19 jvd ***

[ ! -e /proc/partitions ] && { echo "$0: /proc not mounted, exiting" >&2; exit 1

; }

Next, the changes to /usr/sbin/buildfstab (again, my changes marked with "jvd"):

#!/bin/bash

# Calls scanpartitions as root and adds entries to /etc/fstab


PATH="/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin"

export PATH

umask 022

# *** beg 2005-07-19 jvd ***

if [ -f /etc/default/buildfstab.conf ] ; then

   . /etc/default/buildfstab.conf

   if [ $STATIC_FSTAB != 0 ] ; then

      exit 0

   fi

fi

# *** end 2005-07-19 jvd ***

[ ! -e /proc/partitions ] && { echo "$0: /proc not mounted, exiting" >&2; exit 1

; }

I hope this will help

Jon