Overview
To use a file system on a Linux system, a 'mount' operation is required to connect it to a specific directory. The `mount` command links a storage device (disk partition) to a designated mount point (directory), allowing access to the device's file system through that directory. This process enables the system to manage multiple physical or logical storage devices within a unified file system structure.
Key Features
Key features of the `mount` command include:
- Connects a file system to a directory, making it accessible.
- Can mount various devices such as hard disks, USB drives, and network shared folders.
- Allows viewing a list of currently mounted file systems.
- Manages settings for automatic mounting during system boot.
Basic Concepts of Mounting
Mounting can be understood as the process of connecting a device and a directory.
- Device: A physical or logical storage device. E.g., `/dev/sdb1`
- Mountpoint: An empty directory where the file system will be attached. E.g., `/mnt/data`
- Filesystem: The logical structure created on a device. E.g., `ext4`, `xfs`
Main Options
Key options for the `mount` command are grouped by purpose.
1) Mounting and Information Display
2) Mount Option Control
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Description:
`mount` Executes the command.
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Usage Examples
Explore the various usage examples of the `mount` command to understand its functionalities.
Check all currently mounted file systems
mountExecuting the `mount` command without arguments displays all devices and mount points currently mounted on the system.
Mount a new disk partition
sudo mkdir /mnt/data
sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/dataMounts the `/dev/sdb1` partition to the `/mnt/data` directory. The `data` directory must be created beforehand.
Mount a USB drive
sudo mkdir /mnt/usb
sudo mount -t vfat /dev/sdc1 /mnt/usbMounts a USB drive to `/mnt/usb`. The file system type of the USB (e.g., `vfat`) can be explicitly specified.
Mount as Read-Only
sudo mount -o ro /dev/sdb1 /mnt/dataMounts `/dev/sdb1` to `/mnt/data` as read-only (`ro`) to prevent accidental data modification.
Tips & Cautions
Here are some points to note when using the `mount` command.
Tips
- The `mount` command requires **`sudo` privileges**. Regular users cannot mount.
- The directory used as a mount point must **exist beforehand and be empty**. If you mount to a directory that already contains files, the existing files will become inaccessible.
- To automatically mount devices at system boot, you must add the relevant information to the `/etc/fstab` file. Be careful, as incorrect syntax in this file can lead to boot failure.
- Before removing a mounted device, you must always unmount it using the `umount` command. Failure to do so can lead to data corruption.