How to Mount a Hard Drive on Linux

If you have a hard drive that contains important data or that you want to use for storage, you may need to mount it on your Linux computer. Mounting a hard drive allows you to access its contents and use it as if it were a part of your computer’s file system. In this guide, we will show you how to mount a hard drive on Linux using simple commands in the terminal.

Using mount

On Linux, the mount command is used to attach a filesystem to a specific directory in the system’s file hierarchy. When a filesystem is mounted, its contents become accessible to the system and its users.

Mounting a filesystem typically involves specifying the device or partition that contains the filesystem, as well as the directory where it should be mounted.

Step 1: Connect Hard Drive

First, connect the hard drive to your computer if it is not already connected.

Step 2: Open Terminal

Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard or by searching for it in the applications menu.

Step 3: Check Hard Drive

Check if the hard drive is detected by running the following command:

sudo fdisk -l

Step 4: Get Device Name

Look for the hard drive in the list of devices. It will be listed as something like /dev/sdb or /dev/sdc. Make a note of the device name.

Step 5: Create Directory

Create a directory where you want to mount the hard drive by running the following command:

sudo mkdir /mnt/harddrive

Step 6: Mount Hard Drive

Mount the hard drive to the directory you just created by running the following command:

sudo mount /dev/sdb /mnt/harddrive

Note: Replace /dev/sdb with the device name you noted in step 4. You should now be able to access the contents of the hard drive by navigating to the /mnt/harddrive directory.

Step 7: (Optional) Unmount Hard Drive

If you want to unmount the hard drive, run the following command:

sudo umount /mnt/harddrive

Note: If you want the hard drive to be mounted automatically every time you boot your computer, you can add an entry for it in the /etc/fstab file. However, this requires some additional configuration and is beyond the scope of this guide.

Conclusion

Mounting a hard drive on Linux may seem intimidating at first, but it is a relatively simple process that can be completed using just a few terminal commands. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can mount your hard drive and access its contents with ease. Remember to unmount the hard drive before disconnecting it to avoid data loss. With this knowledge, you can use your hard drive to store and access data, expand your storage capacity, or transfer files between different computers running Linux.