From 5aab29ac3d3db2d7f58f8bc16e61664e3400966f Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nathaniel Beaver Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2015 19:33:17 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Expand and clarify discussion of mount points. --- README.rst | 65 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------------------------- 1 file changed, 32 insertions(+), 33 deletions(-) diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst index 66cc5ae..0f75fd2 100644 --- a/README.rst +++ b/README.rst @@ -822,7 +822,8 @@ Perhaps the most obvious problem is that there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet. But what does this mean in practice? -For example, the drive letter may be different when a drive is reconnected, +One result is that the assigned drive letter may be different +when a drive is reconnected, but applications that track recently used files will look for files under the old drive letter, and be unable to find the files. @@ -840,10 +841,18 @@ and be unable to find the files. http://new.office-watch.com/2008/make-a-consistent-drive-letter-or-path-to-a-removable-drive/ -Both of these problems can be solved using NTFS mount points, -but Windows doesn't use them by default. -There are also other limitations; -for example, the recycle bin doesn't work as expected. +Fortunately, there is a solution: NTFS mount points. + + Volume mount points are robust against system changes that occur when devices + are added or removed from a computer. + +https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc938934.aspx + +Unfortunately, Windows doesn't use mount points by default +for external hard drives or flash drives, +possibly because mount points can behave differently than a user might expect. +For example, the recycle bin does not work as expected +on files accessed through mount points. The problem is the recycle bin. This "undo" option is maintained with a hidden system file that is on the partition that holds the files being deleted. @@ -857,47 +866,37 @@ for example, the recycle bin doesn't work as expected. http://getyouriton.blogspot.com/2009/08/serious-gotchas-with-mounted-drives-or.html -This is related to an inconsistency -of the Windows operating system: +Not all of this behavior is because of backwards compatibility; +some of it is due to a design choice of the Windows operating system: the NTFS filesystem has a root directory, -but Windows itself has no unique root directory. +but Windows itself has no single root directory. (*My Computer* roughly corresponds to a root directory in concept, and looks like a folder when viewed in Windows Explorer, but there is no actual *My Computer* folder anywhere on the filesystem.) +http://www.zdnet.com/article/dear-microsoft-its-time-to-stop-using-drive-letters-and-whacks/ + Unix, on the other hand, -has a unique root directory +has a unique root directory called ``/`` and mounts drives (including removable media)_ -as directories on the filesystem. [#disk_location]_ - -On Linux, flash drives are mounted under ``/media/``, -are assigned a directory based on their label, -and the assigned directory won't change unless the partition label changes -or the drive is manually mounted somewhere else. -For graphical file managers, -each flash drive has its own trash folders, -one per user. - -https://superuser.com/questions/169980/what-is-trash-and-trash-1000 +as directories under the root. [#disk_location]_ https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/93960/why-is-linuxs-filesystem-designed-as-a-single-directory-tree -.. http://www.tmsbackup.com/cms/index.php?id=652 -.. http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/the-enterprise-cloud/use-mount-points-if-you-run-out-of-windows-drive-letters/ -.. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4652545/windows-what-happens-if-i-finish-drive-letters-they-are-26 -.. https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc938934.aspx -.. https://serverfault.com/questions/83165/mount-drive-with-two-drive-letters-instead-of-one -.. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/307889 +On Linux, flash drives are mounted under ``/media/`` +and are assigned a directory based on their label. +If the drive is removed and re-mounted again, +the path to the drive will be the same as before +unless the partition label has been changed +or the drive is manually mounted elsewhere. -http://www.zdnet.com/article/dear-microsoft-its-time-to-stop-using-drive-letters-and-whacks/ +File managers on Linux also handle deleting files on flash drives. +When a file on an external drive is put into the trash, +it goes into a user-specific hidden folder on the drive itself, +not the trash in the user's home directory. -.. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/947021 - - Volume mount points are robust against system changes that occur when devices - are added or removed from a computer. - -https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Cc938934.aspx +https://superuser.com/questions/169980/what-is-trash-and-trash-1000 .. [#disk_location]