basic md files for media-manager tutorial. needs to be proof read and humanized
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tutorials/media-manager/steps/setup-mount-points.md
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tutorials/media-manager/steps/setup-mount-points.md
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# Understanding Mounting, File Systems, and Choosing Between EXT4 vs NTFS
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Before we bind our drives and awaken the Machine Spirits, it’s important to understand **what mounting is**, **what file systems are**, and **why we choose EXT4 or NTFS** depending on how the drive will be used.
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This page explains everything in simple terms so beginners can follow confidently.
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---
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## 🧩 What Does “Mounting” Mean?
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On Linux, storage devices like HDDs, SSDs, or USB drives **do not automatically appear as folders**.
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Instead, the operating system must *mount* them — meaning:
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### **Mounting = attaching a physical drive to a folder on the filesystem.**
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For example:
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```
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Device: /dev/sda1
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Mounted at: /mnt/omnissiah-vault
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```
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Once mounted:
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- The drive becomes accessible through that folder
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- Applications can read/write files there
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- You can organize media, downloads, and configuration data
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If the drive is *not mounted*, nothing can access it—even if Linux sees the hardware.
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---
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## 📘 Why We Use `/mnt/…`
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Linux keeps the system organized using conventions:
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| Path | Purpose |
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|------|---------|
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| `/home` | User home folders |
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| `/root` | Root account home |
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| `/etc` | System configuration |
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| `/mnt` | Drives mounted by the user/admin |
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We follow the Linux standard by mounting drives under:
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```
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/mnt/omnissiah-vault
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```
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This makes it clear that the drive is external storage, not part of the system root.
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---
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## 🔧 What Is a File System?
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A **file system** determines how data is organized on a drive.
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It controls:
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- How files are stored
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- How permissions work
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- How large files can be
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- How reliable and fast the storage is
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Two major file systems matter for media management:
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---
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# 🆚 EXT4 vs NTFS — Which Should You Use?
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Below is a simple, clear comparison.
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| Feature | EXT4 (Linux Native) | NTFS (Windows Native) |
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|--------|----------------------|------------------------|
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| Best OS support | Linux | Windows |
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| Performance on Linux | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fast | ⭐ Slow (requires NTFS-3G driver) |
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| Supports Linux permissions (chmod, chown) | ✔ Yes | ❌ No (emulated) |
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| Good for Plex & ARR stack | ✔ Best choice | ✔ Works but slower |
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| Reliability | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent | ⭐⭐⭐ Good |
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| 4K/large drive support | ✔ Yes | ✔ Yes |
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| Automatic mounting | Easy | Slightly more complex |
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| Ideal use case | Permanent Linux storage | External drive shared with Windows |
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### ✔ **Choose EXT4 if the drive stays connected to your Raspberry Pi/Linux system.**
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This is the recommended choice for **media servers**, **Plex**, and **qBittorrent** because:
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- It’s faster
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- Uses native permissions
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- More stable
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- Less CPU overhead
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- Easier integration with Docker
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### ✔ **Choose NTFS only if the drive must also be used on Windows.**
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For example:
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- You physically unplug the drive and connect it to a Windows PC
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- You want to browse the media on Windows without a network share
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---
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## 🪟 Accessing an EXT4 Drive on Windows?
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EXT4 cannot be read by Windows *natively*.
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However, **this is not a problem**, because:
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### You will access your media over the network using **Samba (SMB)**.
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This means:
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- You keep the performance, safety, and permissions of EXT4
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- Windows PCs can still browse the media like a shared network drive
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We will configure Samba later in an optional section:
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👉 *“Accessing Your Media from Windows (Samba Setup)”*
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---
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## 📥 Choose Your Mounting Ritual
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Below are two scripts — pick one based on your file system choice.
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### 🟦 EXT4 Mounting Ritual (Recommended)
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**Download:**
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👉 [bind-machine-spirits-ext4.sh](../scripts/shell/setup-mount-points/ext4.sh)
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(Use this if your drive is formatted as EXT4 and stays connected permanently.)
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---
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### 🟨 NTFS Mounting Ritual (Legacy/Optional)
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**Download:**
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👉 [bind-machine-spirits-ntfs.sh](../scripts/shell/setup-mount-points/ntfs.sh)
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(Use this only if your drive must work on both Linux and Windows without Samba.)
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---
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## 🧭 What Happens Next?
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Once you choose your file system and run the ritual script:
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1. Your mount point will be created
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2. `/etc/fstab` will be updated for automatic mounting
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3. The drive will appear under `/mnt/omnissiah-vault`
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4. Subdirectories (movies, tv-shows, downloads, etc.) will be generated
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## Next steps
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Proceed to the **Setup Mount Points** step to prepare storage paths and permissions: `steps/setup-mount-points.md`.
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👉 **Install Docker**
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with all your directory paths standardized and ready for the media automation pipeline.
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---
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