Template:Mount

From Grokdoc

What is all this talk about mounting? I know that I can put in a CD, turn the computer on & it will install debian. I know that when I type 'apt-get install something' that it will ask for a CD and my software gets installed. However, when I put in a music CD, it doesn't just start playing - like it does on my other computer. Why not? I saw a page here that talked about mounting, usb devices, new hardware and stuff, but I don't get mounting. Maybe somebody will explain it in english here.

In linux (and UNIX), "the system" is a file directory. You can find, for example, /home/joe/yourtextfile.txt, /home/jane/amusicfile.mp3, /cdrom/thingsonthecd.tar.gz... But there is a relation of the things you can find on "the system" and the actual hardware. You might not notice it, but your / is related to a specific hard disk partition, such as /dev/hda2 (device - first hard disk - second partition). It's automatically mounted during boot. Likewise, your /cdrom directory has to be mounted, for example, on /dev/hdc (device - "third hard disk", really second master IDE disk or something like that). Likewise, the /floppy directory can be mounted on /dev/fd0 (device - first floppy disk). You have to disengage or unmount a piece of hardware before you physically unplug it. Otherwise, "the system" thinks it's there.

Anyway, "the system" could automagically detect the music CD, mount it and launch xmms, as done in MacOSX. It could be transparent for you, if the kernel is properly patched and a script properly written. (Really, the music CDs don't get mounted exactly like the data CDs, but the details are too complicated for me, right here and now).

More info here: Devices and mounting notes