LinuxQuestions.org - [SOLVED] Scared to format my computer hard drive

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Scared to format my computer hard drive

Hello everyone,

I am working on a computer with a 500GB local hard drive.

I try to mount a new external hard drive with the same size of 500GB.
As this hard drive has not been recognised, I try to mount it manually.
To get the list of the disks on my computer, and how to format the new drive, I have referred to this post:

https://www.linuxquestions.org/quest...5432746-print/

The outputs of the command

Code:

sudo fdisk -l

are partially the following:

Code:

Disk /dev/nvme0n1: 477 GiB, 512110190592 bytes, 1000215216 sectors

Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

Disklabel type: gpt

Disk identifier: 0C9EA23F-EAC6-4197-94CE-E92CA9EF476D



Device          Start        End  Sectors  Size Type

/dev/nvme0n1p1    2048    1050623  1048576  512M EFI System

/dev/nvme0n1p2 1050624 1000214527 999163904 476.4G Linux LVM





Disk /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root: 475.5 GiB, 510543265792 bytes, 997154816 sectors

Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes



Disk /dev/sda: 465.8 GiB, 500107862016 bytes, 976773168 sectors

Units: sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes

Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes

I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 33553920 bytes

Would you know which one is the external hard drive?
I am afraid to format my computer hard drive as they all have the same size!

Thanks for the help!

Linux seems to be installed on Disk /dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root.

Try: lsblk

?

It seems that sda is the external, but I read that /dev/sda was user commonly for the main disk of a computer.

running lsblk, it yields:

Code:

NAME                  MAJ:MIN RM  SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT

loop0                  7:0    0  69.1M  1 loop /snap/dosbox-x/313

loop1                  7:1    0  69.1M  1 loop /snap/dosbox-x/280

loop2                  7:2    0  54.4M  1 loop /snap/core18/1074

loop3                  7:3    0  1008K  1 loop /snap/gnome-logs/61

loop4                  7:4    0  67.3M  1 loop /snap/jupyter/6

loop5                  7:5    0 184.5M  1 loop /snap/tuxguitar-vs/9

loop6                  7:6    0    56M  1 loop /snap/mutt/125

loop7                  7:7    0  56.1M  1 loop /snap/mutt/147

loop8                  7:8    0  65.9M  1 loop /snap/discord/93

loop9                  7:9    0 106.1M  1 loop /snap/tusk/28

loop10                  7:10  0 341.5M  1 loop /snap/gog-galaxy-wine/127

loop11                  7:11  0  42.8M  1 loop /snap/gtk-common-themes/1313

loop12                  7:12  0 140.7M  1 loop /snap/gnome-3-26-1604/90

loop13                  7:13  0 219.1M  1 loop /snap/gimp/189

loop14                  7:14  0  2.3M  1 loop /snap/gnome-calculator/260

loop15                  7:15  0 123.8M  1 loop /snap/tusk/29

loop16                  7:16  0    4M  1 loop /snap/gnome-calculator/352

loop17                  7:17  0 202.3M  1 loop /snap/vlc/770

loop18                  7:18  0  35.3M  1 loop /snap/gtk-common-themes/1198

loop19                  7:19  0 202.9M  1 loop /snap/vlc/1049

loop20                  7:20  0  111M  1 loop /snap/zotero-standalone/36

loop21                  7:21  0  88.7M  1 loop /snap/core/7396

loop22                  7:22  0 106.1M  1 loop /snap/tusk/27

loop23                  7:23  0 149.9M  1 loop /snap/gnome-3-28-1804/71

loop24                  7:24  0 149.9M  1 loop /snap/gnome-3-28-1804/67

loop25                  7:25  0 206.7M  1 loop /snap/gitkraken/142

loop26                  7:26  0  88.5M  1 loop /snap/core/7270

loop27                  7:27  0 206.7M  1 loop /snap/gitkraken/141

loop28                  7:28  0  14.8M  1 loop /snap/gnome-characters/296

loop29                  7:29  0 341.5M  1 loop /snap/gog-galaxy-wine/124

loop30                  7:30  0  14.8M  1 loop /snap/gnome-characters/317

loop31                  7:31  0  54.4M  1 loop /snap/core18/1098

loop32                  7:32  0  1008K  1 loop /snap/gnome-logs/57

loop33                  7:33  0    4M  1 loop /snap/gnome-calculator/406

loop34                  7:34  0 172.5M  1 loop /snap/skype/85

loop35                  7:35  0 104.2M  1 loop /snap/whatsdesk/17

loop36                  7:36  0  3.7M  1 loop /snap/gnome-system-monitor/100

loop37                  7:37  0 218.9M  1 loop /snap/gimp/165

loop38                  7:38  0 172.5M  1 loop /snap/skype/86

loop39                  7:39  0  3.6M  1 loop /snap/cataclysm/30

loop40                  7:40  0  3.7M  1 loop /snap/gnome-system-monitor/95

loop41                  7:41  0  94.4M  1 loop /snap/ghostwriter-casept/2

loop42                  7:42  0  14.5M  1 loop /snap/gnome-logs/45

loop43                  7:43  0 140.7M  1 loop /snap/gnome-3-26-1604/92

loop44                  7:44  0 124.4M  1 loop /snap/lonewolf/32

sda                    8:0    0 465.8G  0 disk 

nvme0n1              259:0    0  477G  0 disk 

├─nvme0n1p1          259:1    0  512M  0 part /boot/efi

└─nvme0n1p2          259:2    0 476.4G  0 part 

  ├─ubuntu--vg-root  253:0    0 475.5G  0 lvm  /

  └─ubuntu--vg-swap_1 253:1    0  980M  0 lvm  [SWAP]

commonly yes

but you have a super duper new type of storage which is the main device in your setup

/dev/nvme0n1p1
that is your Solid State disk
it has Ubuntu on it

the external was assigned sda as no other sata disks were found before it

Thanks for the help! I makes more sense to me right now! :)