Specify the fields available in /etc/fstab file in order

Table explains the field entries. If there is no value for a field, be sure to type a dash -. This field is also used to specify swap file systems.

This field determines the raw interface that is used by fsck. Use a dash - when there is no applicable device, such as for a read-only file system or a network-based file system. The pass number used by fsck to determine whether to check a file system. When the field contains a dash - , the file system is not checked.

When the field contains a value of 1 or more, the file system is checked; non-UFS file systems with a 0 fsck pass are checked. If the value is "0", fsck won't check the filesystem. Like us on. Share on. Introduction and different fields of Linux fstab configuration file, fstab howto.

Field Name Description Device Specifies the device to be mounted. Mount Point The directory under the root filesystem, where this filesystem will be mounted. Filesystem Format Specifies the filesystem type ext2, ext3, iso etc. The fstab file became an attractive option because of challenges like this.

It is designed to configure a rule where specific file systems are detected, then automatically mounted in the user's desired order every time the system boots. Not only is it less work over time, but it also allows the user to avoid load order errors that could eat up valuable time and energy. The table itself is a 6 column structure, where each column designates a specific parameter and must be set up in the correct order.

The columns of the table are as follows from left to right:. Obviously your table will be different depending on your environment, however, I want to look at an example using a virtual machine so that we can see what information is provided and break down what we are seeing.

You will see my fstab below:. This table consists of six columns defining certain parameters around a given filesystem. The first thing that pops out at you is the comments in the header. For now, ignore the Created by section and move to the Accessible filesystems portion. These directories and man pages are worth noting and can provide valuable information should you need it. Next, skip down to the After editing section and note the systemctl daemon-reload command used to update the systemd components after making changes to this file.

Now that we have looked at the comments, let's break down the actual configuration that is present and look at the various bits of info that a user needs to note. You also see that it is an xfs filesystem.

You may see any number of options here, such as ext3, ext4, fat file systems, etc. The UUID remains persistently assigned to the filesystem. UUIDs are a great way to label filesystems, especially in smaller environments. However, they can lead to issues in larger environments where network-based drives are in use. Moving to the right, you see a pair of zero's.