What is a file system mount?

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What is a file system mount?

A file system mount refers to the process of making a file system available for access and use by the operating system. When a file system is mounted, it means that the operating system recognizes and assigns a specific location or directory in its file hierarchy to the file system, allowing users and applications to interact with the files and directories within that file system.

During the mount process, the operating system establishes a connection between the file system and a mount point, which is a directory in the existing file system hierarchy. This mount point serves as the entry point for accessing the files and directories within the mounted file system.

When a file system is mounted, the operating system takes care of managing the file system's data structures, maintaining file metadata, and handling file operations such as reading, writing, and deleting files. The mounted file system becomes an integral part of the overall file system structure, seamlessly integrating with other file systems and directories.

Mounting a file system can be done manually by system administrators or automatically during the system boot process. It allows for the organization and management of various storage devices and partitions, such as hard drives, solid-state drives, network shares, and removable media, as a unified file system.

Overall, a file system mount is the process of connecting and integrating a file system into the operating system's file hierarchy, enabling users and applications to access and manipulate the files and directories within that file system.