step by step to mount permanently

1. Identify the Drive and Mount Point:

• Open a terminal window.
• Use the lsblk command to list all block devices. Identify the device you want to mount permanently. This could be a secondary drive (/dev/sdb1), a partition (/dev/sda3), or a USB drive (/dev/sdX). Note the device name.
• Decide on a mount point directory. This is where the contents of the drive will be accessible. It's recommended to create a dedicated directory under /media (e.g., /media/mydrive). If the directory doesn't exist, create it using sudo mkdir /media/mydrive.

2. Find the Device's UUID (Optional but recommended):

• Using the device name from step 1, find the Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) with the following command:

sudo blkid

• Look for the line corresponding to your device and note the UUID value. It will be a string of alphanumeric characters separated by hyphens (e.g., UUID=03ec5dd3-45c0-4f95-a363-61ff321a09ff).

3. Edit the fstab File (carefully):

• The /etc/fstab file defines mount points and options for devices. Editing this file requires administrative privileges. Use a text editor like nano with sudo:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

• Back up the original fstab file (recommended): Before making any changes, it's wise to create a backup. In the terminal, you can run:

sudo cp /etc/fstab /etc/fstab.bak

4. Add a New Line for the Mount:

• At the bottom of the fstab file, add a new line following this format:

<device> <mount_point> <filesystem_type> <options> <dump> <fsck>

Here's what each part means:

• <device>: Replace this with the device name (e.g., /dev/sdb1) or UUID (recommended for stability across reboots).
• <mount_point>: This is the directory you created in step 1 (e.g., /media/mydrive).
• <filesystem_type>: Specify the file system type of the drive (e.g., ext4 for common Linux drives). You can check the file system type with blkid.
• <options>: These are comma-separated options for mounting the drive (e.g., defaults). Common options include defaults (default options), auto (automount on boot), and noauto (don't automount on boot).
• <dump>: This value (usually 0 or 1) specifies if the drive should be included in system dump backups.
• <fsck>: This value (usually 0 or 1) determines the order in which the fsck (file system check) utility should check the drive.

Example:

UUID=03ec5dd3-45c0-4f95-a363-61ff321a09ff /media/mydrive ext4 defaults 0 2

5. Save and Close the File:

• In nano, press Ctrl+O to save the file and Ctrl+X to exit.

6. Verify and Mount the Drive (Optional):

• You can verify the syntax of your fstab entry with the following command:

sudo mount -a

• If there are no errors, the drive should be mounted. You can access its contents through the mount point directory.

7. Reboot (Optional):

• To ensure the mount persists across reboots, restart your system. The drive should be automatically mounted at boot time.

Remember: Editing the fstab file requires caution. Typos or errors can lead to boot failures. It's recommended to double-check your entries before saving. If you're unsure, consult the fstab man page with man fstab for detailed information on options and usage.

dump and fsck

The <dump> and <fsck> options in the /etc/fstab file on Linux systems control how the system handles backups and filesystem checks for mounted partitions. Here's a detailed explanation of their individual meanings:

(Field 5):

• This field is related to the dump(8) utility, used for creating periodic backups of filesystems. However, dump is less commonly used in modern system administration due to the availability of more robust and flexible backup solutions.
• The <dump> value is typically set to either 0 or 1:
  • 0 (default): The filesystem is not included in the automatic dump process managed by dump(8).
  • 1: The filesystem is included in the dump process.

(Field 6):

• This field is crucial for ensuring the integrity of your filesystems. It determines the order in which the fsck(8) utility checks filesystems during the boot process to identify and fix potential inconsistencies.
• Common values for <fsck> are:
  • 0: The filesystem is skipped by fsck during boot checks.
  • 1: This value is typically used for the root filesystem (/). It signifies the highest priority, ensuring fsck checks the root partition first to guarantee a bootable system.
  • 2: This is a common value for other partitions. It indicates the filesystem should be checked after the root partition (priority).

Example:

A typical /etc/fstab entry for a data partition might look like this:

UUID=03ec5dd3-45c0-4f95-a363-61ff321a09ff /media/mydrive ext4 defaults 0 2

In this example:

• <dump> is set to 0, indicating the partition is not included in automatic dumps.
• <fsck> is set to 2, meaning it will be checked after the root partition during boot.

Important Points:

• While dump might not be heavily used in modern systems, it's still good practice to understand the option.
• Setting the correct <fsck> values is essential for maintaining filesystem health. The root partition should always have the highest priority for checks.
• Refer to the man fstab command for more detailed information on these options and other functionalities within the /etc/fstab file.

mount ntfs3

First instal lthe ntfs-3g package (advised by Debian)

sudo apt-get install ntfs-3g