file storage server with external drive

ufmale · 08-22-2008, 09:09 PM

I partitioned my machine using what redhat default to (LVM). Now, i have to use this machine as a file storage server using an external drive, where each user have access to only thier own space.

That would be simple if I partition home directory in the external drive in the beginning. Now, I am not sure what I need to do?
do I just need to create a symbolic link of each user to the external drive?

billymayday · 08-22-2008, 09:18 PM

You should be able to mount the external drive as /home under LVM I would think. What file system is on the drive? Copy the contents of /home to the external drive, then mount it to /home. If it works, put an entry in your fstab

BACKUP FIRST

ufmale · 08-23-2008, 02:05 AM

Are you suggesting that I just need to move the home directory to the external drive, then just add the home mount point in the etc/fstab?

Currently there is no "home" mount point in my fstab. Anyways, i will try to experiment follows your suggestion. Thank you.

billymayday · 08-23-2008, 02:41 AM

Of course there isn't - you aren't mounting anything there, it's a normal directory.

Make sure you copy data out first - you won't see it after mounting.

You'll probably want a file system with suitable permissioning on the drive tough.

xxx_anuj_xxx · 08-23-2008, 04:37 AM

As it's your new installation and you might be going to add users, so new users will be having /home/our_user directories with respective permissions.
what are your /etc/fstab entries? can you show? as well as `fdisk -l`

1) create a file system on your external hdd.
2) if you already have users data under /home then:

mount your external hard disk, say on /misc
mount /dev/sdc1 /misc (Where /dev/sdc1 is your external disk)
copy users data along with their file permissions
cp -rpv /home/* /misc/
unmount old /home and mount /dev/sdc1 to /home
Edit your /etc/fstab
a) Comment out old /home and add an entry something like.
/dev/sdc1 /home ext3 defaults 1 2
Read man pages for more details about fstab.

anuj.

ufmale · 08-24-2008, 09:42 PM

Fdisk result

Quote:

[root@aaa]# /sbin/fdisk -l

Disk /dev/hda: 80.0 GB, 80032038912 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 9730 cylinders
Units = cylinders of 16065 * 512 = 8225280 bytes

Device Boot Start End Blocks Id System
/dev/hda1 * 1 9599 77103936 83 Linux
/dev/hda2 9600 9730 1052257+ 82 Linux swap / Solaris

Content in /etc/fstab

Quote:

LABEL=/ / ext3 defaults 1 1
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs defaults 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts gid=5,mode=620 0 0
sysfs /sys sysfs defaults 0 0
proc /proc proc defaults 0 0
LABEL=SWAP-hda2 swap swap defaults 0 0

My current fstab does not have a mount point of for /home. I guess I can still follow the instruction from xxx_anuj_xxx , right?

billymayday · 08-24-2008, 10:04 PM

Yes, but add an fstab entry for /home.

I don't see your external disk in the fdisk output - was it plugged in?