Date: Wed, 08 Apr 1998 01:53:31 -0700 From: Studded <Studded@san.rr.com> To: "Michael P. Sale" <mike@merchantsnet.com> Cc: freebsd-newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: mounting floppy file systems Message-ID: <352B3B0B.53C31CF@san.rr.com> References: <01bd6294$fe4d42c0$5006bccc@708644668>
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With all due respect to those involved, I'm having a hard time understanding how this question-and-answer thread fits into the stated goals for this list. Since I've obviously missed something I would appreciate someone filling me in. However, since what's done is done (and since I have always said that if a new users list exists questions are inevitable) here's something I hope will clear some things up for some of you. :) Michael P. Sale wrote: > > Yes!, Yes!, Yes! > > I was most certainly missing the point. We've all been there, don't sweat it. > I did not (apparently) correctly > understand that the mounting process could actually use any available > directory (or is that file system). I'm sure that there is a better definition for a file system, however I generally think of a file system as something you can mount and unmount. Yes, I know that's somewhat circular. :) A directory in unix is NOT like a directory in DOS. It's not a place, it's a file that is actually a list of other files if any (including other directories) that exist in that part of the tree. This will be very much oversimplified mostly because I'm not an expert, but here's the gist. Let's say your home directory is /usr/home/cabbage. In /usr/home/cabbage you create a new directory called slaw, and "move" a file called mayo "into" that directory. I put move in quotes because in unix the files don't (generally) go anywhere, just the pointers to them. :) Let's say the mayo file is at inode 3333. An inode is basically where on the physical disk the OS goes to look for stuff. So at inode 3333 is the info contained in the file called mayo, which is now "in" /usr/home/cabbage/slaw. The *file* that contains the "directory" information for what should be in the slaw directory will now contain the info that the OS needs to go to the disk and find the mayo file. Yes, I know that's a bit dense, but bear with me. Now let's look at a directory being used as a mount point, like /mnt/floppy. When you mount the floppy disk there that directory will contain much more information than just a list of files. It will contain information about the physical disk, where it is and how to access it, and lots of complicated stuff I don't understand. :) /mnt/floppy will become a "file system" because it contains not just the info about the files, but HOW to access that info on a completely seperate partition from the file system that the /mnt/floppy file/directory is on (which would almost certainly be the / file system). This makes sense if you really understand the previous paragraph. Directories contain *information* about where and how to find the files that branch below that directory in the tree. They don't contain the files themselves. > I assumed (don't say it) that there was > something special about /mnt. Not completely understanding /etc/fstab did > not help much either. There is a man page for fstab, but you're right, it's intermediate level stuff. > Knowing this now, pg 211 clearly states that one is to mount the floppy on > FILE SYSTEM /A. I suspect Greg figured that even a newbie would understand > that mounting a floppy on /A would require a file system /A. Maybe I'm too > used to the term "directory"!! Or again, maybe there is more info on this > earlier in the book that would have clued me in. As far as I know greg's still on this list, so I'll let him address this point. > I think I still believe that the page could supply a little more info (It's > so easy to judge other peoples work), but with such a basic concept I can't > believe that I didn't just gloss over it somewhere in the previous 12 > chapters. I'll keep looking. It goes back to the old problem of all unix knowledge being circular. It all depends on something else, you just have to fight your way in somewhere. :) I hope this helps, Doug -- *** Chief Operations Officer, DALnet IRC network *** *** Proud operator, designer and maintainer of the world's largest *** Internet Relay Chat server. 5,328 clients and still growing. *** Try spider.dal.net on ports 6662-4 (Powered by FreeBSD) To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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