Lecture #2 Storage Devices and File Systems

Learner Outcomes

• Partition a hard disk drive to support the file system requirements for a UNIX/Linux installation
• Describe the uses for multiple partitions on a storage device
• Create, mount and unmount file systems from mount points on the directory structure.

Activities

• Use fdisk to view your hard disk setup and create an extended and logical partition.
• Disk storage and file system handout
• File System exercise

Assignment

1. What would be the device name of the fifth SCSI disk on a system? What would the name of its first partition?
2. What is the purpose of swap space in Linux or UNIX? What is the system type number for a Linux swap partition?
3. What is the fdisk utility used for?
4. Where do file systems reside?
5. What is the /etc/fstab file used for?
6. What are the six entries on each line of the above file?
7. What is the difference between a file system, a partition, and a mount point?
8. What is the name of the configuration file for GRUB? For LILO?
9. What would GRUB call the fourth partition ont he first hard drive?
10. What are the similarities and differences between GRUB and LILO?

Storage Devices and File Systems

1. Hard Disk Geometry
   • IDE vs. SCSI
   • Sectors
   • Tracks (heads)
   • Cylinders
2. Disk Partitioning
   • Master Boot Record
   • Partitions
     1. Primary
     2. Extended
     3. Volume
   • Device files
3. File System Terminology
   • Filename
   • Inode
   • Disk blocks
   • Directory
   • Subdirectory
   • Absolute and Relative Pathnames
4. File systems
   1. Superblock
   2. Inode Table (List)
   3. Data blocks
   4. lost+found directories
5. Mounting and Unmounting File Systems
   • mount [device-file] [directory]
   • umount [device-file | directory]
   • Mount information
     1. /etc/fstab
     2. /etc/mtab
6. The dd Command
   • Can copy data within or outside of file system structures
   • Syntax: dd if=input-file of=output-file bs=blocksize count=#-of-blocks
   • Example: dd if=/dev/hda of=mbb bs=512 count=1
     Copies the master boot block to the file mbb

Relevant Commands and Files