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Asked: 2024-09-25T04:37:51+05:30 In:

I am encountering an issue while trying to mount /dev/sdb1 to the /media directory on my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS system. Can someone help me understand what might be causing this problem?

I’ve been having a bit of a headache with my Ubuntu 14.04 LTS system lately. I’m trying to mount my second hard drive, which is located at `/dev/sdb1`, to the `/media` directory. But for some reason, things just aren’t going smoothly. Every time I run the mount command, it either gives me an error or just doesn’t seem to do anything at all.

I’m not exactly a total newbie with Linux, but I definitely don’t consider myself an expert either. I thought I had followed the usual steps: I checked if the partition is formatted properly and even tried to run a quick `fsck` on it just to ensure there are no underlying filesystem issues. It seems fine, but the mounting part is where I hit a wall.

I did some digging and saw that sometimes permissions can be a stickler in these situations, so I checked those too. I tried mounting it with `sudo`, which should give me the right permissions, right? Still, I see errors popping up. One of the more common errors I get is “mount: special device /dev/sdb1 does not exist” or something about invalid options. I’ve tried various mounting options, but it feels like I’m just going in circles.

In addition, I noticed that when I check the output of `lsblk`, it shows that `/dev/sdb1` is listed, so it’s definitely recognized by the system. I even rebooted my PC, hoping that it was just some temporary glitch, but nope, still no luck.

I’m wondering if there’s something I’m missing. Is there a specific command or option I should be using for mounting? Or could there be some configuration issue I haven’t thought of? Any insights or troubleshooting tips would be incredibly helpful! I just want to access my files on that drive without pulling my hair out. Thanks!

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    2 Answers

    1. Mounting Issues with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS

      Sounds frustrating! Here are a few things you might wanna check:

      1. Check the Device Node

      Since you mentioned seeing /dev/sdb1 with lsblk, that’s good! But, double-check if it’s showing up correctly by running:

      sudo fdisk -l

      This command lists all partitions and should help you confirm that /dev/sdb1 is actually present and not just some ghost device.

      2. Ensure It’s Unmounted

      If the partition is already mounted somewhere else, trying to mount it again can cause issues. You can check this with:

      mount | grep /dev/sdb1

      If it’s mounted, you’ll see it listed. You might need to unmount it first with:

      sudo umount /dev/sdb1

      3. Use the Mount Command

      Make sure you’re using the mount command correctly. The basic format should be:

      sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media

      If you want to create a specific directory for your drive, try:

      sudo mkdir /media/mydrive
    sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/mydrive

      4. Check Filesystem Type

      If you know the filesystem type (like ext4, ntfs, etc.), you can specify it while mounting:

      sudo mount -t ext4 /dev/sdb1 /media/mydrive

      Replace ext4 with your actual filesystem.

      5. Look at the Logs

      If you’re still having problems, check the system logs for clues. You can use:

      dmesg | tail

      This will show the last few lines of the kernel messages which might give you hints about what’s going wrong.

      6. Permissions Issues

      Since you mentioned permissions, ensure you have proper permissions in /media. If it’s too restrictive, you can change the permissions with:

      sudo chmod 777 /media/mydrive

      7. Try a Different Directory

      Just to rule out the /media directory, try mounting it somewhere else, like directly in your home folder:

      mkdir ~/mydrive
    sudo mount /dev/sdb1 ~/mydrive

      If none of this works, let us know what error messages you’re seeing, and maybe we can figure it out together!

    2. To mount your second hard drive located at `/dev/sdb1` to the `/media` directory on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, ensure that the directory you want to mount to exists and has the correct permissions. Start by creating the mount point if it doesn’t exist:

      sudo mkdir -p /media/mydrive

      After ensuring that the mount point is ready, try using the mount command again:

      sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /media/mydrive

      If you’re still encountering issues, double-check the partition table with `lsblk` and confirm that `/dev/sdb1` is indeed the correct identifier. If the device is listed but you still see “special device does not exist,” there could be a problem with the partition. Verify that `fdisk -l` shows it properly, and check for any discrepancies between what you see there and what `lsblk` indicates.

      If the filesystem is indeed intact, and you’re still facing mounting errors, investigate the filesystem type by running:

      sudo blkid /dev/sdb1

      You’ll need to specify the filesystem type when mounting if it isn’t automatically detected. Use the -t option, e.g.,

      sudo mount -t ext4 /dev/sdb1 /media/mydrive

      Replace `ext4` with the actual filesystem type if it’s different. Lastly, if you’re getting invalid options errors, ensure that no erroneous characters or flags are present in your mount command. Given your experience level, consider checking the `/etc/fstab` file for persistent mounting issues as well, but proceed with caution there to avoid system boot issues.

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