Questions on using extra drives -RESOLVED

[WHVW]

Hi All:

I have two questions here, the first is that I remember reading (somewhere) that you need a line in fstab to allow the boot process to continue if the drive is not present, I just do not remember what that line was, or where I saw it. Does anyone know it?
The second is about designating a file for, let's say, downloaded files. I know how to set the location, but is there a way set a sequence? That is, for example, go to "Downloads" on dev/sdb, if not present, then use "Downloads" on dev/sda.

Thanks.

[GELvdH]

Trying to figure out what you are trying to do.

[mikeflan]

I remember reading (somewhere) that you need a line in fstab to allow the boot process to continue if the drive is not present

I'm thinking that is not necessary. It is automatic with the bios boot order. It just keeps going to the next one until it finds something to boot.

The second is about designating a file for, let's say, downloaded files. I know how to set the location, but is there a way set a sequence? That is, for example, go to "Downloads" on dev/sdb, if not present, then use "Downloads" on dev/sda.

No - I don't know any way to do that.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi All:

I have two questions here, the first is that I remember reading (somewhere) that you need a line in fstab to allow the boot process to continue if the drive is not present, I just do not remember what that line was, or where I saw it. Does anyone know it?...

The "line" you are looking for is "nofail". I have a wonderful memory but, since it is shorter than the attention span of a cat, I made myself a tutorial on how to make an fstab entry. You can also use it to edit and entry:

Automounting Data Drives Using Fstab

1. Go to File System (click on Home in Menu, then click on File system in left panel).

2. Right click on Media and Open as Root.

3. Create folder named with drive label.

4. Copy UUID for drive from Disks and paste into a temporary Writer document.

5. Open terminal and type:

sudo nano /etc/fstab

Then hit enter.

5. In new screen that pops up, start a new line after the last existing line and type:

UUID=(paste UUID here without parentheses)(TAB)/media/(folder name)(TAB)ext4(TAB)defaults, nofail(TAB)0(TAB)0

6. Press CTRL+o

7. Press ENTER to save.

8. Press CTRL+x to exit.

9. Restart the machine.

Here is an example of how the line should look:

UUID=123ec4fd-54e2-4590-8a4b-da43630efd72 /media/Data1 ext4 defaults,nofail 0 0

[WHVW]

Hi:

Lady Fitzgerald: Thank you for the fstab redux; it will save me some searching and swearing later.

GELvdH : What I am trying to achieve is using a different drive for file storage than for the operating system. Ultimately, I would like to have a separate, central storage server, so that no particular computer would have critical amounts of data on it.
Which leads me to ask: can fstab be configured with an IP address? In other words, could a fstab configuration look something like this: 192.168.1.103 /home/Documents? I know the syntax isn't right, but you get the idea.

Thanks

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Hi:

Lady Fitzgerald: Thank you for the fstab redux; it will save me some searching and swearing later...

That's funny because my tutorial was the result of much searching and swearing.

[Jo-con-Ël]

Notice you can use ext4 only if that partition has ext4 filesystem so better use auto instead. To avoid this and another problems (as leaving spaces after comma) you can do all that stuff easily with Disks.

Select disk on the left and the partition you want to auto-mount on the right. Then click on wheels icon downside>Edit Mount options

Switch off User session default

And complete as desire (mount point on the folder you want,etc)

Click in OK when finish (you will asked for password), the line in fstab is created and that partiton will be automounted on starting.

[WHVW]

Jo-con-Ël:

Now that's what I call cool. I never knew "Disks" could do such tricks. Thank you.