How to Change Mount Location on Mac
In the world of Mac users, there may come a time when you need to change the mount location of a disk or partition. Whether you’re running out of space on your primary drive or you want to move your home directory to a different partition for better performance, knowing how to change mount location on Mac is a valuable skill. This article will guide you through the process step by step, ensuring that you can safely and efficiently manage your storage on a Mac.
Understanding Mount Points
Before diving into the process, it’s important to understand what a mount point is. A mount point is a directory in the file system where a disk or partition is attached. When you mount a disk, it becomes accessible as if it were a part of your main file system. By default, most Macs have a mount point at the root level, but you can change this to any directory you prefer.
Step-by-Step Guide to Change Mount Location on Mac
1. Identify the Disk or Partition: First, you need to identify the disk or partition you want to change the mount location for. You can do this by opening Disk Utility and selecting the disk or partition.
2. Create a New Mount Point: To change the mount location, you need to create a new directory where the disk or partition will be mounted. Open the Terminal app and create a new directory with the following command:
“`
mkdir -p /new/mount/point
“`
Replace `/new/mount/point` with the path to the directory where you want to mount the disk or partition.
3. Unmount the Disk or Partition: Before you can change the mount location, you need to unmount the disk or partition. In Disk Utility, select the disk or partition and click the “Eject” button. Alternatively, you can use the following command in the Terminal:
“`
diskutil unmount /path/to/disk/or/partition
“`
4. Mount the Disk or Partition at the New Location: Now that the disk or partition is unmounted, you can mount it at the new location. Use the following command in the Terminal:
“`
diskutil mount /path/to/disk/or/partition /new/mount/point
“`
This command will mount the disk or partition at the new mount point you created in step 2.
5. Verify the Mount: To ensure that the disk or partition has been mounted successfully, you can use the `ls` command to list the contents of the new mount point:
“`
ls /new/mount/point
“`
You should see the contents of the disk or partition listed here.
6. Set the Mount Point Permanently (Optional): If you want to set the new mount point permanently, you can edit the `/etc/fstab` file. This file contains information about all mounted file systems. However, editing this file can be risky, so make sure to back up the original file before making any changes. To edit the file, use the following command:
“`
sudo nano /etc/fstab
“`
Add the following line to the file, replacing `/path/to/disk/or/partition` with the actual path and `/new/mount/point` with the new mount point:
“`
/path/to/disk/or/partition /new/mount/point auto noatime 1 1
“`
Save the file and exit the editor. This will make the mount point permanent, and the disk or partition will be mounted at the new location every time you start your Mac.
Conclusion
Changing the mount location on a Mac can be a useful technique for managing storage and optimizing performance. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can safely and efficiently change the mount location of a disk or partition on your Mac. Remember to back up important data before making any changes to avoid data loss.
