volume label and fstab/mtab

[Bob McClure Jr]

On Sat, Aug 20, 2005 at 04:36:06PM -0700, Bob Kinney wrote:
> Hello--
> 
> I'm trying to figure out (or remember) how this happened:
> 
> I created a partition out of empty space to house the /home 
> tree long after I installed this system originally (RH 9),
> when I realized I needed more room.
> 
> fstab refers to the new partition by its label, instead of 
> device notation.  I understand why this works, but I cannot
> remember how it got in there.  Is there a configuration 
> program that does that?  I might have followed some great 
> detailed instructions from this list, but I cannot 
> remember ever creating a label for the partition.
> 
> fstab:
> LABEL=/                 /                       ext3    defaults        1 1
> LABEL=/boot             /boot                   ext3    defaults        1 2
> none                    /dev/pts                devpts  gid=5,mode=620  0 0
> LABEL=/home             /home                   ext3    defaults        1 2
> none                    /proc                   proc    defaults        0 0
> none                    /dev/shm                tmpfs   defaults        0 0
> /dev/hda1               /dos                    vfat    defaults,umask=000     
> 0 0
> /dev/hdb5               /dos/ddrive             vfat    defaults,umask=000    
> 0 0
> /dev/hda5               swap                    swap    defaults        0 0
> /dev/cdrom              /mnt/cdrom              udf,iso9660
> noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
> /dev/fd0                /mnt/floppy             auto    noauto,owner,kudzu 0 0
> /dev/cdrom1             /mnt/cdrom1             udf,iso9660
> noauto,owner,kudzu,ro 0 0
> 
> 
> mtab:
> /dev/hda3 / ext3 rw 0 0
> none /proc proc rw 0 0
> usbdevfs /proc/bus/usb usbdevfs rw 0 0
> /dev/hda2 /boot ext3 rw 0 0
> none /dev/pts devpts rw,gid=5,mode=620 0 0
> /dev/hda6 /home ext3 rw 0 0
> none /dev/shm tmpfs rw 0 0
> /dev/hda1 /dos vfat rw,umask=000 0 0
> /dev/hdb5 /dos/ddrive vfat rw,umask=000 0 0

So far as I know, only the installation process makes filesystem
labels by default.  You can change or delete filesystem labels using
"e2label".  Run "man e2label" for more information.

I consider labels to be partition device names for dummies.  I suppose
they have their virtue, but they can get you into a world of confusion
if you start mixing and moving disk drives.  Unless I can think of
some good reason to have them (I haven't yet), I change my fstab to
use real partition names, e.g. /dev/hda6.

> --BobCat

Hey, wait a minute.  I'm Bobcat. :-)

Cheers,
-- 
Bob McClure, Jr.             Bobcat Open Systems, Inc.
robertmcclure at earthlink.net  http://www.bobcatos.com
Peace at any price is inflationary.