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Linux attaches storage devices to the directory tree by “mounting” them on existing folders. In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
  • Manually mount and unmount filesystems
  • Configure automatic mounts at boot using /etc/fstab
  • Enable swap partitions at startup
  • Use UUIDs for stable device identification

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1. Manual Mounting and Unmounting

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1.1 Verify an Empty Mount Point

A common temporary mount directory is /mnt. Confirm it’s empty: 
ls /mnt/

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1.2 Mount an XFS Filesystem

Assuming you created an XFS filesystem on /dev/vdb1, mount it to /mnt: 
sudo mount /dev/vdb1 /mnt
Now /mnt is the root of that filesystem. Create a test file and verify: 
sudo touch /mnt/testfile
ls -l /mnt/
# -rw-rw-r--. 1 aaron aaron 0 Jan 31 14:30 testfile
Use lsblk to confirm the mount point: 
lsblk
# NAME    MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
# vdb     8:16   0   10G  0 disk 
# └─vdb1  8:17   0    4G  0 part /mnt

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1.3 Unmount the Filesystem

To detach the filesystem: 
sudo umount /mnt
Then verify it’s no longer mounted: 
lsblk
ls /mnt/

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2. Automatic Mounting at Boot with /etc/fstab

The /etc/fstab file defines filesystems to mount automatically during system startup.

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2.1 Create the Mount Point

sudo mkdir /mybackups

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2.2 Understand /etc/fstab Fields

FieldDescriptionExample
DeviceBlock device path or UUID/dev/vdb1 or UUID=...
Mount pointDirectory to attach the filesystem/mybackups
Filesystem typexfs, ext4, swap, etc.xfs, swap
OptionsMount options, e.g., defaults, rw, noexecdefaults
Dump0 = disable, 1 = enable (for dump utility)0
Pass (fsck order)0 = skip, 1 = root, 2 = other filesystems2

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2.3 Add an XFS Entry

Open /etc/fstab in your editor: 
sudo vim /etc/fstab
Append: 
/dev/vdb1    /mybackups    xfs    defaults    0    2
If you don’t plan to reboot immediately, apply the new mounts with:
sudo mount -a

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2.4 Verify and Reboot

Confirm /mybackups is not yet mounted: 
ls /mybackups/
lsblk | grep mybackups
Reboot the system: 
sudo systemctl reboot
After login, verify the mount: 
ls -l /mybackups/
lsblk | grep mybackups
# vdb1   8:17   0   4G  0 part /mybackups

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3. Enabling Swap at Boot

If you created a swap partition on /dev/vdb3, add it to /etc/fstab so it’s activated at startup.

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3.1 Add Swap Entry

Edit /etc/fstab and append: 
/dev/vdb3    none    swap    defaults    0    0
Here, the mount point is none, and 0 0 disables dump and fsck.

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3.2 Verify Swap

Reload systemd (or reboot) and check: 
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo swapon --show
# NAME        TYPE      SIZE USED PRIO
# /dev/vdb3   partition 2G   0B   -2

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4. Using UUIDs Instead of Device Names

Device names can change if hardware is reconfigured. UUIDs remain constant.

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4.1 Retrieve a Device’s UUID

sudo blkid /dev/vdb1
# /dev/vdb1: LABEL="FirstFS" UUID="9ab8cfa5-2813-4b70-ada0-7abd0ad9d289" TYPE="xfs"

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4.2 Example /etc/fstab Entry with UUID

UUID=9ab8cfa5-2813-4b70-ada0-7abd0ad9d289    /mybackups    xfs    defaults    0    2

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