/etc/fstab

The /etc/fstab file is a configuration file on Unix-like operating systems that contains information about different filesystems and partitions and their respective mount points. It is crucial for automating the process of mounting partitions and filesystems at boot time.

Structure of /etc/fstab

The file typically contains lines with the following fields:

1. Device: The device or partition to be mounted.

2. Mount Point: The directory where the device or partition will be mounted.

3. Filesystem Type: The type of filesystem on the device or partition (e.g., ext4, xfs, swap, nfs).

4. Options: Mount options (e.g., defaults, ro, rw, noatime).

5. Dump: Used by the dump utility to decide if a filesystem should be backed up (usually set to 0 or 1).

6. Pass: Used by fsck to determine the order in which filesystems should be checked at boot time (usually 0, 1, or 2).

Example /etc/fstab

# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>
UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000 /               ext4    defaults,noatime 0       1
UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440001 /home           ext4    defaults        0       2
UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440002 none            swap    sw              0       0
UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440003 /mnt/data       ext4    defaults        0       2
192.168.1.100:/export/nfs /mnt/nfs    nfs     defaults        0       0

Fields Explained

• Device

  • Can be specified by the device file (e.g., /dev/sda1), UUID (e.g., UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000), or LABEL (e.g., LABEL=root).

• Mount Point

  • The directory where the filesystem will be mounted. For swap space, use none.

• Filesystem Type

  • Common types include ext4, xfs, btrfs, nfs, vfat, ntfs, and swap.

• Options

  • defaults: Uses the default options (rw, suid, dev, exec, auto, nouser, async).

  • ro: Mounts the filesystem as read-only.

  • rw: Mounts the filesystem as read-write.

  • noatime: Prevents the system from updating the access time on files.

  • auto: Automatically mounts the filesystem at boot.

  • noauto: Does not mount the filesystem at boot.

  • user: Allows a non-root user to mount the filesystem.

• Dump

  • 0: Do not dump.

  • 1: Dump this filesystem.

• Pass

  • 0: Do not check.

  • 1: Check this filesystem first.

  • 2: Check this filesystem after those with a 1.

Common Use Cases

• Mounting a Local Disk Partition

  /dev/sda1 / ext4 defaults 0 1

• Mounting a Swap Partition

  /dev/sda2 none swap sw 0 0

• Mounting a Network Filesystem (NFS)

  192.168.1.100:/export/nfs /mnt/nfs nfs defaults 0 0

• Mounting a Filesystem by UUID

  UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440000 /home ext4 defaults 0 2

Managing /etc/fstab

Adding a New Entry

1. Edit /etc/fstab

   sudo nano /etc/fstab

2. Add the new entry:

   UUID=123e4567-e89b-12d3-a456-426655440004 /mnt/newdisk ext4 defaults 0 2

3. Create the mount point:

   sudo mkdir -p /mnt/newdisk

4. Mount all filesystems:

   sudo mount -a

Conclusion

The /etc/fstab file is an essential configuration file for defining how and where disk partitions, network shares, and other filesystems are mounted. Understanding its structure and options allows for effective management of system storage, ensuring that filesystems are correctly mounted at boot time or on demand.