Create a Linux / Unix Mount Point

In this post we will see how to create a Mount Point in Linux. For this post I'll be using Oracle Linux 6.4 on Virtual Box. This tutorial can be used for any UNIX, but before doing to actually on Live Machine, first use it in Test Machine and if everything is fine do it on Live Machine.

If you are using Linux on VMWare, the step to add storage will be somewhat different but rest of it will be same.

Follow below steps in order to create a mount point on Linux –

• Add new SATA disk(s) in Virtual Machine.
  Select the Machine where the Linux is installed (In this case dbrhel)
  Machine Setting -> Storage -> Controller:SATA -> Add Disk
  Provide the required details.
  
• Start the machine and login as root (or any sudoers who has root access)
  Check for the new SATA disk that we’ve added in Machine, by using fdisk -l command.
  In this case the added SATA/other controller is of 20G, having name /dev/sdc.
  

[root@dbrhel64 ~]# fdisk - l

Disk /dev/sda: 32.2 GB, 32212254720 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3916 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000659a0

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *           1          64      512000   83  Linux
Partition 1 does not end on cylinder boundary.
/dev/sda2              64        3917    30944256   8e  Linux LVM

Disk /dev/sdc: 16.1 GB, 16106127360 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 1958 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

Disk /dev/mapper/vg_dbrhel64-lv_root: 29.6 GB, 29569843200 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 3594 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000


Disk /dev/mapper/vg_dbrhel64-lv_swap: 2113 MB, 2113929216 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 257 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x00000000

• Now create a new partition using fdisk /dev/sdc command.

[root@dbrhel ~]# fdisk /dev/sdc
Device contains neither a valid DOS partition table, nor Sun, SGI or OSF disklabel
Building a new DOS disklabel with disk identifier 0x7ababe44.
Changes will remain in memory only, until you decide to write them.
After that, of course, the previous content won't be recoverable.

Warning: invalid flag 0x0000 of partition table 4 will be corrected by w(rite)

WARNING: DOS-compatible mode is deprecated. It's strongly recommended to
         switch off the mode (command 'c') and change display units to
         sectors (command 'u').

Command (m for help): n
Command action
   e   extended
   p   primary partition (1-4)
p
Partition number (1-4): 1
First cylinder (1-1958, default 1):
Using default value 1
Last cylinder, +cylinders or +size{K,M,G} (1-1958, default 1958):
Using default value 1958

Command (m for help): w
The partition table has been altered!

Calling ioctl() to re-read partition table.
Syncing disks.

• Use partprobe command. This command will make the device visible to the kernel. Just to verify use fdisk -l again to verify that partition is created or not.
• Now create file system on that partition, use mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdc1 to create the actual file system at block level. You will see that when you run the command.

[root@dbrhel ~]# mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdc1
mke2fs 1.41.12 (17-May-2010)
Filesystem label=
OS type: Linux
Block size=4096 (log=2)
Fragment size=4096 (log=2)
Stride=0 blocks, Stripe width=0 blocks
983040 inodes, 3931900 blocks
196595 blocks (5.00%) reserved for the super user
First data block=0
Maximum filesystem blocks=4026531840
120 block groups
32768 blocks per group, 32768 fragments per group
8192 inodes per group
Superblock backups stored on blocks:
        32768, 98304, 163840, 229376, 294912, 819200, 884736, 1605632, 2654208

Writing inode tables: done
Creating journal (32768 blocks): done
Writing superblocks and filesystem accounting information:
done

This filesystem will be automatically checked every 38 mounts or
180 days, whichever comes first.  Use tune2fs -c or -i to override.

• Now create a directory which you want to mount on the newly created partition.

[root@dbrhel ~]# mkdir -p /data/users/

• Now add a new line in /etc/fstab, for the newly created partition.

[root@dbrhel users]# tail -2 /etc/fstab
proc                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
/dev/sdb1               /oracle_11204           ext4    defaults        1 1
[root@dbrhel users]# cat >> /etc/fstab
/dev/sdc1               /data/users             ext4    defaults        1 1
^C
[root@dbrhel users]# tail -2 /etc/fstab
/dev/sdb1               /oracle_11204           ext4    defaults        1 1
/dev/sdc1               /data/users             ext4    defaults        1 1

• Finally use mount -a command to mount all partition which are present in /etc/fstab file.

[root@dbrhel users]# df -h
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/vg_dbrhel-lv_root
                       28G  7.4G   19G  29% /
tmpfs                 499M   80K  499M   1% /dev/shm
/dev/sda1             485M   33M  427M   8% /boot
/dev/sdb1              25G  6.2G   18G  27% /oracle_11204
[root@dbrhel users]# mount -a
[root@dbrhel users]# df -h
Filesystem            Size  Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/vg_dbrhel-lv_root
                       28G  7.4G   19G  29% /
tmpfs                 499M   80K  499M   1% /dev/shm
/dev/sda1             485M   33M  427M   8% /boot
/dev/sdb1              25G  6.2G   18G  27% /oracle_11204
/dev/sdc1              15G  166M   14G   2% /data/users
[root@dbrhel users]#