how to mount harddisks on systemstart

**magicoizo** · 05-18-2004, 04:17 PM

Hi,

how do i mount a harddisk on systemstart?

i tried tu use the /etc/fstab file for this and added a line just after the /-mounting

Code:

/dev/hdb1/ /test ext2 defaults,users 0 0

the directiry test does exist and the harddisk is ext2 formated

but nothing happens on reboot ...

when use the command

Code:

mount /test

after login then everything works but that can't be correct, can it?

i hope you can help me ...

P.S. i'm a linux newbie *smile*

**Cuddles** · 05-18-2004, 07:02 PM

magicoizo,

Hmmmmm, the line looks good, only thing, and I can't be sure if this changes anything, or if it needs to be there, but, you might add exec ???

like this:

Code:

/dev/hdb1/ /test ext2 defaults,users,exec 0 0

I can't see why your drive isn't just auto-mounting when you login??? Have you had a look near the top of the output of dmesg ???? (possibly a more descriptive error of why it can't mount the drive???)

Look to see if during your root file system mounting and swap partition, if it says something about your hdb device.... Only thought I can think of...

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles

**fingers99** · 05-19-2004, 02:55 PM

Try this:

/dev/hdb1 /test ext2, users, auto 0 0

Then reboot.

Note the auto flag and the lack of a slash after the drive.

Formatting as Ext3 might save you some pain later!

**Cuddles** · 05-19-2004, 04:51 PM

O M G

I didn't even "see" that slash, sheesh, I can be so dense sometimes. (I even typed the slash on my reply!)

Thanks Fingers99 for "seeing" that little detail, and I agree on the ext3 file system, as well... Saved my rear a few times, having it, thats for sure!

Background: Ext3 is the same as Ext2, except it has a "journaled" structure. If something, unforseen, happens, like a crash, or power-outage, fsck can "rebuild" better, what could have gone corrupt on you. Ext3 file system is kind of like using Windows' Microsoft Word, and it crashes on you, in the middle of a document edit. Word can use a form of "journaled" entry to rebuild the document, closer to its known contents, than without it.

Hope this helps,
Ms. Cuddles

**magicoizo** · 05-19-2004, 05:27 PM

hi guys,
thx for your help.

first of all, i tried to format the harddisks with ext3 but the program, which should help me to make the partitions could not format in ext3. Every try ended in an error ...
how can i format them without this KDE-tool?

the code was just /dev/hdb1, without the / it was just my mistake, sorry

**Cuddles** · 05-19-2004, 07:09 PM

Kool,

For formatting, drop to a shell console, root, preferably, and do one of the mkfs commands...

Not exactly sure on the spelling, maybe...

mkext3fs - or mkfsext3 ???

Got it...

mkfs.ext3 - you can look at the man pages on what options you want to provide, but from just entering the command alone on the console, you only need to provide the [device], all the rest are non-required flags/switches/options....

Hope this helps, and glad you got your auto-mounting working

Ms. Cuddles

**mzilikazi** · 05-19-2004, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by magicoizo

hi guys,
thx for your help.

first of all, i tried to format the harddisks with ext3 but the program, which should help me to make the partitions could not format in ext3. Every try ended in an error ...
how can i format them without this KDE-tool?

the code was just /dev/hdb1, without the / it was just my mistake, sorry

mke2fs /dev/hda2 creates an ext2 format
mke2fs -j /dev/hda2 uses the journal that creates ext3
tune2fs -j /dev/hda2 will convert an existing etx2 partition to ext3

Funny, I had no idea there was a GUI for something as simple as formatting.

**user unknown** · 05-19-2004, 07:54 PM

Originally Posted by fingers99

/dev/hdb1 /test ext2, users, auto 0 0

The syntax is:

Code:

/dev/hdb1	/test	ext2	users,auto	0 0

(no comma after ext2).

cuddles suggested to add 'exec' to the options.
man mount told me, that 'defaults' implies 'exec'.
btw: exec permits execution of binaries and covers a totally different issue.

Questions to fstab are often answered by man mount - yes, I know, it's about 100 pages long

**CrashedAgain** · 05-20-2004, 03:19 AM

Comment on ext2 vs ext3. I had several system total crashes (and thus became CrashedAgain) before switching to ext3 and none after. Save yourself some grief, make the switch. Crashes occurred during boot up, fsck would do a system check & say it had a bad superblock which I could never manage to 'repair'.

**Bleim** · 05-20-2004, 12:30 PM

Hi!
I think that magicoizo installed knoppix in HD with beginner option. I did the same and I have the same problem! I edit fstab, reboot, and have the original fstab!! I don't know what to do. I think begginer install mode creates a fstab every time I reboot. What do we can do?