mount(8)
Attach a filesystem or storage device to the directory tree so its contents become accessible.
Synopsis
mount [-t fstype] [-o options] device mountpointDescription
Mount attaches a filesystem or block device to a location in the directory hierarchy, making its contents accessible. Without arguments, it lists currently mounted filesystems. The device argument specifies what to mount (a device file, NFS share, or label), and mountpoint is an existing directory where it will be attached.
Common use cases include mounting USB drives, external hard drives, network shares, ISO images, and additional partitions. Mount options control behavior like read-only access, permission handling, and filesystem-specific features.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
-t fstype | Specify filesystem type (ext4, ntfs, vfat, nfs, iso9660, etc.); auto-detect if omitted |
-o options | Comma-separated mount options (ro, rw, noexec, nosuid, nodev, defaults, etc.) |
-r | Mount read-only (equivalent to -o ro) |
-w | Mount read-write (default; equivalent to -o rw) |
-a | Mount all filesystems listed in /etc/fstab |
-l | List all currently mounted filesystems with their mount options |
-B, --bind | Bind mount: attach a directory tree to another location without copying data |
--rbind | Recursive bind mount: includes all submounts |
-v | Verbose output showing mount operations |
-n | Mount without updating /etc/mtab (useful in restricted environments) |
Examples
Mount the first partition of /dev/sdb to /mnt/usb; filesystem type is auto-detected
mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usbMount an ISO image file as a loop device to make its contents readable
mount -t iso9660 -o loop /path/to/image.iso /mnt/isoMount a remote NFS share from an IP address using NFSv4
mount -t nfs -o vers=4 192.168.1.10:/export/share /mnt/nfsRemount the root filesystem as read-only (useful for system maintenance)
mount -o remount,ro /Mount a FAT32 device in read-only mode to prevent accidental modifications
mount -r -t vfat /dev/sdc1 /mnt/backupBind mount a directory to another location; both point to the same data
mount --bind /home/user/documents /media/shared/docsMount all filesystems defined in /etc/fstab (common in boot scripts)
mount -aList only mounts under /mnt to check what devices are currently attached
mount | grep /mnt