How to use the command pmount (with examples)

pMount is a command-line utility that allows users to mount arbitrary hotpluggable devices as a normal user. This command is especially useful for situations where root access is not available or desirable. With pmount, users can mount devices based on their filesystem type, specify a mount point, and even set the access mode.

Use case 1: Mount a device below /media/ (using device as mount point)

Code:

pmount /dev/to/block/device

Motivation:

This use case is useful when you want to mount a device and use its device name as the mount point. By default, pmount mounts the device under the /media/ directory.

Explanation:

• /dev/to/block/device: represents the device you want to mount. Replace to/block/device with the actual device name, such as /dev/sdb1.

Example output:

The device /dev/sdb1 is mounted under /media/sdb1.

Use case 2: Mount a device with a specific filesystem type to /media/label

Code:

pmount --type filesystem /dev/to/block/device label

Motivation:

Sometimes, you may want to mount a device with a specific filesystem type to a custom mount point. This use case allows you to specify the filesystem type and the desired mount point.

Explanation:

• --type filesystem: specifies the filesystem type of the device.
• /dev/to/block/device: represents the device you want to mount. Replace to/block/device with the actual device name.
• label: represents the label you want to assign to the mounted device.

Example output:

The device /dev/sdb1 with the filesystem type “ext4” is mounted under /media/label.

Use case 3: Mount a CD-ROM (filesystem type ISO9660) in read-only mode

Code:

pmount --type iso9660 --read-only /dev/cdrom

Motivation:

Mounting a CD-ROM in read-only mode allows you to access the content without making any changes. This can be useful when you want to view the contents or copy files from a CD-ROM.

Explanation:

• --type iso9660: specifies the filesystem type of the CD-ROM as ISO9660.
• --read-only: forces the mount in read-only mode.
• /dev/cdrom: represents the CD-ROM device.

Example output:

The CD-ROM is mounted in read-only mode under /media/cdrom.

Use case 4: Mount an NTFS-formatted disk, forcing read-write access

Code:

pmount --type ntfs --read-write /dev/sdX

Motivation:

This use case is useful when you want to mount an NTFS-formatted disk with read-write access. It allows you to modify, delete, and add files to the mounted NTFS partition.

Explanation:

• --type ntfs: specifies the filesystem type of the NTFS-formatted disk.
• --read-write: forces the mount in read-write mode.
• /dev/sdX: represents the NTFS disk device. Replace sdX with the actual device name, such as /dev/sdc1.

Example output:

The NTFS-formatted disk is mounted under /media/sdc1 with read-write access.

Use case 5: Display all mounted removable devices

Code:

pmount

Motivation:

When working with various removable devices, it can be helpful to have a way to quickly view all the mounted devices. This use case allows you to display a list of all the currently mounted removable devices.

Explanation:

This command without any arguments displays all mounted removable devices.

Example output:

/dev/sdb1 on /media/sdb1 type ext4 (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,adata_cluster)
/dev/sdc1 on /media/sdc1 type ntfs (rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,uid=1000,gid=1000,user_id=0,group_id=0,default_permissions,allow_other,blksize=4096,uhelper=udisks2)

Conclusion:

The pmount command is a versatile tool for mounting hotpluggable devices as a normal user. It offers various options to mount devices with different filesystem types and access modes. With pmount, users can easily mount devices, view mounted devices, and perform read-only or read-write operations on them without requiring root access.