normal mount points

[Jerry McAllister]

On Sat, Apr 28, 2007 at 11:21:20AM -0700, Graham North wrote:

> I ran the df command last night to check slice sizes in anticipation of 
> doing some backup and eventual tranfer to a new machine.
> The output gave me not just normal slices that were created at install 
> but also three additional (mount points?)
> /proc
> /net
> /host

No problem.   /proc is sort of a psuedo file system that enables
some routines such as top to look at certain pieces of information.

Probably /net and /host are also psuedo file systems, but I have 
never seen them before.  If they are legit, they are for something
I do not run.


> The machine is a simple web server and print server with little else on 
> it.   Can some explain to me (or point me to) an explanation of mount 
> points?

A mount point is just a directory where the system attaches pointers
to some type of data structure.    You create a mountpoint using
the mkdir command just like with a directory.  It only becomes a
mountpoint when something is attached to it - a file system or some
other system structure.   Of course, actual file systems such as
for / or /usr or /home  are  the most common seen, others, including
memory file systems can be created and attached to a directory.

When a filesystem is mounted over a directory, if there is something
else in the directory - other files and directories - they are covered
up until the attached item is unmounted.

That all probably isn't very clear, but it should at least let you
not worry too much.   

////jerry

> Thanks,
> Graham/
> 
> -- 
> 
> Graham North
> Vancouver BC
> Canada
> 
> www.soleado.ca
> 
> Kindness is infectous, try it.
> 
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