Chapter5: Mounting and Managing Files

Differences Between Windows 10 and CentOS 7 File System Mounting

• File System Mounting Approaches

  • Windows 10: Assigns drive letters to partitions, volumes, and CD ROM drives automatically.

    • Example: Lights turn on in every room of a house as soon as you enter.

  • CentOS 7: Requires user action to mount file systems, allowing for optimized performance.

    • Example: Only lights in rooms that are entered are turned on, conserving energy.

Accessing Storage Areas

• Windows 10 Storage Access

  • Drives are mapped by default; user intervention is minimal.

  • Removable drives (e.g., USB) are mounted upon insertion and must be dismounted before removal.

• Creating Mounted Drives in Windows 10

  • Mounted drives can be created using Disk Management Console.

  • Drive paths can replace traditional drive letters, making data accessible through specific folders.

  • Example: Move "documents" folder to another drive and mount it as C:\Documents.

Mounting File Systems in CentOS 7

• General Process

  • Mounting makes a file system accessible at a designated mount point.

  • Root or super user access required to mount new partitions, while certain partitions auto-mount at boot.

• Configuration

  • Entries must be added to the /etc/fstab file to mount certain partitions automatically on boot.

  • Mounted partitions appear integrated into the local directory structure.

• Mount Command

  • Syntax: mount -t <type> <device> <mount_point>

  • Options: Mount as read-only (-r), mount writable (default).

  • Supported file system types: ext4, ext2, ext3, ISO9660, NTFS, and others.

File System Management in Windows 10

• Local Disk Properties

  • Access these settings via the Computer console and requires administrative rights.

  • General Tab:

    • Displays used and free space, total capacity, and options for disk cleanup and indexing.

  • Tools Tab:

    • Includes options for Error Checking and Disk Defragmentation.

  • Hardware Tab:

    • Provides details and properties for all drives.

  • Sharing Tab:

    • Manage sharing settings for drives based on administrative privileges.

  • Security Tab:

    • Allows for NTFS permissions management to control data access.

  • Quota Tab:

    • Allows tracking and control of disk space usage per user. Enables/Disables quotas.

File System Management in CentOS 7

• File System Checking and Repair

  • Use fsck command for checking and repairing file systems.

  • Automatic checks happen during boot.

• Disk Usage Management

  • Use df to report disk space usage.

  • Use du to display disk usage of files and directories recursively.

• Swap Space Management

  • free command displays used and free memory, including swap space.

  • Swap is helpful for managing memory when running multiple programs.

  • Swap partitions can enhance performance due to contiguity of disk blocks.

Key Commands in CentOS 7

• Mounting Command

  • General syntax for mounting: mount [options] <device> <mount_point>

• Unmounting Command

  • Use umount followed by the directory or device name to detach file systems.

Conclusion

• Windows 10 is user-friendly, automatically providing storage access but can hinder performance.

• CentOS 7 requires manual mounting, optimizing performance at the cost of convenience.

• Each system has unique utilities for file system management, reflecting different philosophies in user experience.