The importance of a mount point

catiewong · 11-13-2018, 09:17 PM

I use centos 7.4 and it is a web server .

All the web files ( program , application .. ) are located at /webfiles , it is our standard setting , but now there is no /webfiles mount point now.

Code:

existing 
========
Filesystem               1K-blocks    Used  Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/centos-root 2084722116 1195644 2083526472   1% /
devtmpfs                   8121668       0    8121668   0% /dev
tmpfs                      8133668       0    8133668   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs                      8133668    8988    8124680   1% /run
tmpfs                      8133668       0    8133668   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/sda2       104806400    246448  104559952   1% /home
/dev/sdb1          508588    116036     392552  23% /boot

I just would like to ask , if I re-install the server , is it good to create such mount point as below when installation ?

Code:

Filesystem               1K-blocks    Used  Available Use% Mounted on
/dev/mapper/centos-root 2084722116 1195644 2083526472   1% /
devtmpfs                   8121668       0    8121668   0% /dev
tmpfs                      8133668       0    8133668   0% /dev/shm
tmpfs                      8133668    8988    8124680   1% /run
tmpfs                      8133668       0    8133668   0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/sda2       104806400    246448  104559952   1% /home
/dev/sdb1          508588    116036     392552  23% /boot
/dev/sda1              1638450532 527778796 1110671736  33% /webfiles

jsbjsb001 · 11-13-2018, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catiewong

I use centos 7.4 and it is a web server .

All the web files ( program , application .. ) are located at /webfiles , it is our standard setting , but now there is no /webfiles mount point now.
[output snipped]

I just would like to ask , if I re-install the server , is it good to create such mount point as below ?
[output snipped]

A 'mount point' is simply a folder that is the point at which you access a particular filesystem - hence, it's the point at which that particular filesystem is mounted to the filesystem hierarchy.

Why not just re-create the mount point ?

catiewong · 11-13-2018, 10:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsbjsb001

A 'mount point' is simply a folder that is the point at which you access a particular filesystem - hence, it's the point at which that particular filesystem is mounted to the filesystem hierarchy.

Why not just re-create the mount point ?

you mean it it better to create the mount point when installation as my second list ?

HappyTux · 11-13-2018, 10:18 PM

Set the proper server root for the mount point you create and it should find your files.

Code:

root.......# grep -i Root /etc/apache2/apache2.conf 
# ServerRoot: The top of the directory tree under which the server's
#ServerRoot "/etc/apache2"

catiewong · 11-13-2018, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HappyTux

Set the proper server root for the mount point you create and it should find your files.

Code:

root.......# grep -i Root /etc/apache2/apache2.conf 
# ServerRoot: The top of the directory tree under which the server's
#ServerRoot "/etc/apache2"

Yes , I have set the apache conf. file , but in the view of server management , is it good to create such mount point ?

frankbell · 11-13-2018, 10:48 PM

A mount point is a directory. usually in /mnt or /media, to which you mount a partition (file system).

http://www.linfo.org/mount_point.html

Based on the scanty information in OP's post, /webfiles looks like a directory, not like a partition, so it would not rate a mount point. It might rate a symlink.

More information might help.

scasey · 11-14-2018, 12:10 AM

I have never created a mount point for the web DocumentRoot. It lives where it lives. In fact, I've one server whose configuration is so old that the DocumentRoot is at /home/httpd -- is, and has been, working like that for nearly 20 years. Turns out to be handy, since the default CentOS 7 disk configuration doesn't have lots of room at / (where /var/www would be), but lots of room at /home

catiewong · 11-14-2018, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankbell

A mount point is a directory. usually in /mnt or /media, to which you mount a partition (file system).

http://www.linfo.org/mount_point.html

Based on the scanty information in OP's post, /webfiles looks like a directory, not like a partition, so it would not rate a mount point. It might rate a symlink.

More information might help.

so do not think it is better to create /webfiles when installation ?

catiewong · 11-14-2018, 12:42 AM

As I know , I can not create it after the OS has been installed , right ?

If I did not create it , I have to create /webfiles on / directory , and I will not see /webfiles when use the command "df" , is there any benefit to create /webfiles when installation of OS ?

pan64 · 11-14-2018, 01:04 AM

as it was explained a mount point is just a directory and you can create it any time you wish. There is no need to install anything. But I think you misunderstood something. Creating a directory will not make it work as mount point - and every directory can be used as mount point. I think you want to mount something, but I have no idea what.

catiewong · 11-14-2018, 01:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pan64

as it was explained a mount point is just a directory and you can create it any time you wish. There is no need to install anything. But I think you misunderstood something. Creating a directory will not make it work as mount point - and every directory can be used as mount point. I think you want to mount something, but I have no idea what.

Maybe I rephase my question .

I will re-install OS for some reason , in my case , is it good to create /webfiles when installation ?

berndbausch · 11-14-2018, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catiewong

Maybe I rephase my question .

I will re-install OS for some reason , in my case , is it good to create /webfiles when installation ?

Both are OK: create it at installation time, or create it later, before you mount the partition and start the web server.

Personally, I would do a standard installation and create the mount point when the server is installed. It’s probably easier. But whatever suits you better.

pan64 · 11-14-2018, 01:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by catiewong

Maybe I rephase my question .

I will re-install OS for some reason , in my case , is it good to create /webfiles when installation ?

yes, it is irrelevant. But if you wish to have a partition "behind" that /webfiles probably better to create it (=the partition, not the mount point) during installation.

catiewong · 11-14-2018, 02:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by berndbausch

Both are OK: create it at installation time, or create it later, before you mount the partition and start the web server.

Personally, I would do a standard installation and create the mount point when the server is installed. It’s probably easier. But whatever suits you better.

you mean if I do not create it , I can do it later ( what I want is run "df" command" , it will show this mount point ) ?

pan64 · 11-14-2018, 02:32 AM

df does not care about mount points. (you would need to read the man page of df to understand how it works).
df will print the free space on partitions. If anything was mounted on any mount point df would handle it. But not the mount point itself.