NTFS (New Technology File System) is a file system used by Windows operating systems. If you're using CentOS, RHEL, or Rocky Linux and want to access NTFS drives, you'll need to install the appropriate packages and mount the drive. In this guide, we will walk you through the steps to mount an NTFS drive on your server. Whether you're deploying it on a local server or using a Windows VPS UK, this tutorial provides all the necessary steps.
Step 1: Update Your System
Before starting, ensure your system is up to date. Run the following commands:
sudo dnf update -yKeeping your system updated is crucial for security and performance, whether you're setting it up locally or on a VPS Windows Servers platform.
Step 2: Install Required Packages
To mount NTFS drives, you need the ntfs-3g package. Install it using the following command:
sudo dnf install ntfs-3g -yStep 3: Identify the NTFS Drive
You need to find the device name of the NTFS drive you want to mount. Use the following command:
sudo fdisk -lLook for your NTFS partition in the output (it might look like /dev/sdb1 or similar).
Step 4: Create a Mount Point
Before mounting the NTFS drive, create a mount point. For example, to create a mount point in the /mnt directory, run:
sudo mkdir /mnt/ntfs_driveStep 5: Mount the NTFS Drive
Now, you can mount the NTFS drive using the following command, replacing /dev/sdX1 with your actual device name:
sudo mount -t ntfs-3g /dev/sdX1 /mnt/ntfs_driveTo verify that the drive is mounted, you can use:
df -hStep 6: Configure Automatic Mounting (Optional)
If you want the NTFS drive to mount automatically at boot, you'll need to edit the /etc/fstab file:
sudo nano /etc/fstabAdd the following line at the end of the file, replacing /dev/sdX1 and /mnt/ntfs_drive with your values:
/dev/sdX1 /mnt/ntfs_drive ntfs-3g defaults 0 0Save and exit the editor. The drive will now mount automatically at boot.
