When should you use fstab file?

The fstab file, located at /etc/fstab, is a critical configuration file in Linux systems that defines how disk partitions, network shares, and other file systems are mounted. It provides a way to automatically mount file systems at boot time or on demand. Here are scenarios where you should use the fstab file:

  • Automatically mounting file systems at startup to ensure essential partitions are always available.
  • Mounting network file systems (like NFS or Samba shares) to provide easy access to remote resources.
  • Configuring swap partitions for improved system performance.
  • Setting specific mount options for different file systems (like read-only access or noexec options).
  • Easily managing multiple file systems on a server for better organization.

Example of an /etc/fstab Entry:

/dev/sda1 / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1 /dev/sda2 none swap sw 0 0 //server/share /mnt/share cifs username=user,password=pass 0 0

fstab Linux file system mount file systems Linux configuration automatic mounting