How does Mount Work?

Mounting is the process of making a file system accessible at a certain point in the Linux file system hierarchy. This point is referred to as the “mount point.” When a file system is mounted, its contents become seamlessly integrated with the existing directory structure, enabling users to interact with the files and directories within that file system.

When you mount a filesystem, you essentially attach it to an existing directory (known as the mount point). The contents of the mounted filesystem become accessible through that directory.

Here’s how mount generally works:

1. Identifying the Filesystem: Before you can mount a filesystem, you need to identify it. This could be a local partition on a hard drive, a USB drive, a network share, or even a virtual filesystem like those used in cloud storage services.

2. Choosing a Mount Point: You need to decide where in your system’s directory structure you want to make the contents of the file system accessible. This is called the mount point. It’s typically an empty directory, but it could also be an existing directory if you want to overlay the existing files with those from the mounted filesystem.

3. Mounting the Filesystem: Once you’ve identified the filesystem and chosen a mount point, you use a command or a system call to mount the filesystem at the specified location. The exact command or method depends on the operating system you’re using. For example, in Linux, you might use the mount command.

4. Accessing the Filesystem: Once the filesystem is mounted, you can access its contents through the mount point just like you would with any other directory. Files and directories on the mounted filesystem can be read, written, and manipulated just like local files.

5. Unmounting: When you’re done using the filesystem, you can unmount it. This detaches the filesystem from the mount point and makes its contents inaccessible. Again, the exact command or method depends on your operating system. In Linux, you typically use the umount command.

Mounting is a basic concept in computing, particularly in operating systems. It involves making files and directories from one file system available to use within another file system. This process is essential for allowing us to interact effectively with our digital devices, providing the flexibility to access various files and folders seamlessly.

Mounting allows a file system to be attached to a specific directory (the mount point), making its contents accessible to the operating system and users. At its core, mounting involves associating a file system with a particular location in the overall file hierarchy of an operating system. This association allows the operating system to access the files and directories contained within that file system as if they were part of its native structure. Imagine it as attaching an external hard drive to your computer; once connected, the files on the external drive become accessible to the operating system as if they were stored directly on your computer’s internal storage.