linux = windows dictionary

[Christopher Lees]

On Tue, 2008-03-11 at 12:00 +0000, ubuntu-au-request at lists.ubuntu.com
wrote:

> At Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:05:54 +1100 The Wassermans <dwass at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Thank you David,
> > 
> > mounted ?   samba share?
> 
> Mounting is a UNIX (includes Linux) thing: in order to access a mass
> storage volume, usually a disk drive or partition on a disk drive, but
> could also be any 'device' (USB key drive, digial camera, MP3 player)
> with a 'file system' (an organized system for dealing with 'files' and
> 'directories' aka 'folders'), this mass storage volume needs to be
> connected to the kernel (heart of the operating system).

Actually, it's not a "Unix thing". All operating systems must mount
drives, full-stop. It's just that the Unix way (where the drive becomes
part of the filesystem) is the best and most flexible way, and
Unix/Linux seem to be the only operating systems left where you can
manually mount a volume. (but thank god for automounters!)

The term "mount" itself started with Unix, or possibly with Multix (who
knows?) but Mac users were familiar with the term and concept 15 years
ago. The Macintosh treated Syquest cartridges as "hard drives", not
removable media, and therefore would only mount them at startup. There
was a little utility called SCSI Manager that would "mount" the
removable cartridges even if you put them in while the Mac was running.

I guess Syquest cartridges never took off in the DOS world, and that's
why we're having this conversation :-)