Linux Disk Management
A Basic Guide
Linux Disk Management
Introduction
This article provides a basic guide to disk management in Linux. We will cover how to view disks and partitions, and how to format and mount drives.
Viewing Disks and Partitions
Do You Know
Understanding your disk layout is crucial before performing any modifications.
lsblk
The lsblk command provides a tree-like view of block devices. It's a simple and efficient way to see your disks, partitions, and their sizes.
lsblkfdisk
fdisk is a powerful tool for creating and managing partitions. Use it with caution, as incorrect usage can lead to data loss.
sudo fdisk /dev/sdaImportant Note
Always back up your data before using fdisk.
Formatting and Mounting Drives
After creating partitions, they need to be formatted with a filesystem (like ext4) before they can be used.
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sda1
Once formatted, the partition can be mounted to a directory.
sudo mkdir /mnt/mydrive
sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/mydriveAvoid This
Unmount a drive before unplugging it to prevent data loss or corruption.
Summary
lsblkshows a tree view of block devices.fdiskis used to create and manage partitions.- Use
mkfsto format partitions. - Use
mountto mount partitions to directories. - Always backup data before major disk operations.