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Asked: 2024-09-24T15:42:03+05:30 In:

How can I set a specific mount point for an unallocated partition in Ubuntu?

I recently decided to expand my Ubuntu setup and created an unallocated partition on my hard drive. Now, I want to make this partition useful, but I’m stumped on how to set a specific mount point for it. I’ve got a few ideas, but I’m not sure if I’m on the right track or if I’m missing something.

To give you all some context, I initially set up my Ubuntu installation with a couple of partitions – one for the OS and another for my data. After realizing I had some extra space, I figured it would be a good idea to create another partition to store my media files separately. It’s all about organization, right? Anyway, I’m hoping to mount this new partition to a specific directory, maybe something like `/media/my_media` or `/mnt/media_storage`, but I can’t figure out the best way to do that.

My first thought was to use the Disk Utility, but I’m not entirely sure if that’s the best approach. I’ve read that you can do it via the command line as well, and while I’m somewhat comfortable with terminal commands, I worry I might mess something up. I mean, I don’t want to accidentally format or wipe out my existing partitions because that would be a nightmare!

Also, should I be considering how to make the mount point persistent? Like, will I need to edit the fstab file or something? I’ve heard that term thrown around, but I don’t want to break anything by editing it incorrectly. I just want to ensure that my partition mounts automatically at startup without needing to manually mount it every time I boot up.

So, if anyone has experience with this and can walk me through the steps, I’d really appreciate it! Any tips on potential pitfalls or things to watch out for would be great too. Just looking for some guidance from fellow Ubuntu users who have been through this before!

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    2 Answers



    1. Mounting a New Partition in Ubuntu

      How to Mount a New Partition in Ubuntu

      Sounds like you’re all set to make your new partition useful! Here’s a simple guide to help you get that partition mounted and organized.

      Step 1: Formatting the Partition

      Before you can mount the new partition, you need to format it. You can do this using the terminal, and it’s pretty straightforward. Assuming your partition is /dev/sdX, you can run:

      sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX

      Replace sdX with the actual identifier for your new partition. You can find out what it is by running lsblk).

      Step 2: Creating a Mount Point

      You mentioned wanting to mount it at /media/my_media or /mnt/media_storage. You can create a directory for that:

      sudo mkdir -p /media/my_media

      Choose whichever path you prefer!

      Step 3: Mounting the Partition

      Now you can mount the partition using:

      sudo mount /dev/sdX /media/my_media

      Again, make sure to replace sdX with your partition’s identifier.

      Step 4: Making it Persistent

      To ensure your partition mounts automatically at startup, you’ll want to edit the /etc/fstab file. Open it with:

      sudo nano /etc/fstab

      Then add a line at the end like this:

      /dev/sdX /media/my_media ext4 defaults 0 2

      Make sure to replace sdX and ext4 with the correct filesystem type if you’re using something else.

      Step 5: Testing

      After editing fstab, you can test it without rebooting by running:

      sudo mount -a

      If there are no errors, your setup should be good!

      Watch Out For…

      • Always double-check the partition identifier – formatting the wrong partition can lead to data loss.
      • Make sure your syntax in fstab is correct. A small typo can prevent your system from booting up properly.

      Good luck! With these steps, you should have your media files organized in no time!


    2. To mount your newly created unallocated partition on Ubuntu, you can indeed use either the Disk Utility or terminal commands. If you prefer a graphical interface, open the Disk Utility application, select the unallocated partition, and format it with a file system suitable for your needs, such as ext4. After formatting, you can create a mount point by using the command sudo mkdir /media/my_media or sudo mkdir /mnt/media_storage in the terminal. After that, you can mount the partition to this directory using the command sudo mount /dev/sdXY /media/my_media, where sdXY represents the actual partition identifier (like sda2); you can find this by running lsblk.

      Regarding making your mount persistent across reboots, you should indeed edit the fstab file. First, open the file with sudo nano /etc/fstab. Add a line at the end of this file that includes the partition identifier, the mount point, the file system type, and options, such as: /dev/sdXY /media/my_media ext4 defaults 0 2. Before you save and exit, it’s a good practice to make a backup of the original fstab file with sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak. Be cautious while editing the fstab file as any mistakes can potentially prevent your system from booting correctly. After everything is set up, you can test if your configuration works correctly without rebooting by running sudo mount -a, which attempts to mount all filesystems specified in fstab.

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