automount unit
also: automount, .automount unit
A systemd configuration file that automatically mounts filesystems or network resources when accessed, without requiring manual mount commands or fstab entries.
An automount unit is a systemd unit file (with a .automount extension) that triggers the mounting of a filesystem or remote resource on-demand when a user or process attempts to access its mount point. This lazy-loading approach defers actual mounting until needed, saving system resources and startup time.
Automount units work alongside corresponding .mount units. When a process accesses the mount point directory, systemd automatically starts the associated mount unit. For example, an automount unit might mount an NFS share only when /mnt/backup is first accessed, rather than mounting it at boot.
Common use cases include NFS shares, removable media, and cloud storage. Configuration requires both an .automount file (defining when to trigger mounting) and a .mount file (defining how to mount), typically placed in /etc/systemd/system/.