Mountpunt

Mountpunt, or mount point, is a directory in a computer's file system tree that serves as the access point to another, previously separate file system. In Unix-like systems the file system hierarchy starts at the root, and additional file systems—such as partitions, external drives, or network shares—are attached to the tree by mounting them at a mount point. After mounting, the files of the mounted file system appear under the path of the mount point, effectively overlaying the directory's previous contents until the mounted file system is unmounted.

The mount point must exist as a directory and is typically created empty for that purpose, for example /mnt/drive or /media/usb. Mounting is performed by utilities such as the mount command or by automatic processes; unmounting is done with umount (or the equivalent command in the specific system). System configuration can specify mount points and options in files like /etc/fstab or via systemd mount units to enable automatic mounting at boot.

Common use cases include attaching local storage devices, mounting network shares (such as NFS or SMB/CIFS), and creating temporary filesystems (such as tmpfs or ramdisk). Mount options control behavior, including filesystem type, read/write permissions, accessibility, and security constraints (for example, read-only, noexec, nosuid).

Mount points are a core concept in filesystem management, enabling a unified directory tree that can incorporate diverse storage resources. Proper handling—creating appropriate mount points, selecting suitable filesystem types, and performing safe dismounts—helps ensure data integrity and system stability.