Linux displays all connected drives through a single command that shows their mount points. Knowing how to see mounted drives in linux is essential for managing storage, troubleshooting, or simply understanding what your system is using. This guide walks you through every method, from simple commands to graphical tools, so you can always find your drives quickly.
When you plug in a USB drive or add a new hard disk, Linux doesn’t always show it on your desktop. You need to check the mount points manually. Don’t worry—it’s easier than it sounds. Let’s start with the most common commands.
How To See Mounted Drives In Linux
The mount command is the oldest and most reliable way to list mounted drives. Open a terminal and type mount. You’ll see a long list of filesystems, but the ones you care about are usually under /dev/sd* or /dev/nvme*. These are your physical drives.
For a cleaner view, use mount | grep "^/dev". This filters out virtual filesystems like proc or sysfs. You’ll see something like:
/dev/sda1 on / type ext4 (rw,relatime)/dev/sdb1 on /mnt/usb type vfat (rw,relatime)
This tells you the device, mount point, filesystem type, and options. It’s perfect for a quick check. But if you want more details, try lsblk.
Using Lsblk For A Tree View
The lsblk command shows block devices in a tree format. It lists all drives, partitions, and their mount points. Just type lsblk in your terminal. You’ll get output like:
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT sda 8:0 0 238.5G 0 disk ├─sda1 8:1 0 512M 0 part /boot/efi ├─sda2 8:2 0 237.1G 0 part / sdb 8:16 0 7.5G 0 disk └─sdb1 8:17 0 7.5G 0 part /mnt/usb
The MOUNTPOINT column shows where each drive is attached. If a drive isn’t mounted, that column is empty. This is one of the fastest ways to see mounted drives because it excludes virtual filesystems by default.
Add -f to see filesystem types: lsblk -f. This adds a FSTYPE column. It’s useful when you need to know if a drive is ext4, NTFS, or FAT32.
Checking With Df Command
The df command shows disk usage and mount points. Type df -h for human-readable sizes. You’ll see:
/dev/sda2 237G 12G 213G 6% //dev/sdb1 7.5G 2.1G 5.4G 28% /mnt/usb
This command is great for seeing how much space is used on each mounted drive. But it only shows mounted filesystems, not unmounted ones. If you plug in a drive and it doesn’t show up, df won’t help. Use lsblk or fdisk instead.
Using Fdisk To List All Drives
Sometimes you need to see all drives, even unmounted ones. The fdisk command does this. Run sudo fdisk -l. It lists every disk and partition on your system. You’ll see device names, sizes, and partition types. Mount points aren’t shown, but you can cross-reference with mount or lsblk.
For example, sudo fdisk -l might show:
Disk /dev/sda: 238.5 GiB, 256060514304 bytes, 500118192 sectors Device Boot Start End Sectors Size Id Type /dev/sda1 * 2048 1050623 1048576 512M b W95 FAT32 /dev/sda2 1050624 500118191 499067568 237.1G 83 Linux
This is useful when a drive isn’t mounted and you need to mount it manually. But for seeing mounted drives, lsblk is usually better.
Graphical Tools For Desktop Users
If you prefer a GUI, most Linux desktop environments have a disk utility. On GNOME, open “Disks” (gnome-disk-utility). It shows all drives, partitions, and mount points. You can mount or unmount drives with a click.
On KDE, use “KDiskMark” or “Partition Manager”. These tools are intuitive and show mounted drives in a list. They also let you format or resize partitions. For beginners, this is the easiest way to see mounted drives without typing commands.
But remember, graphical tools may not show everything. Some system drives are hidden. For a complete picture, stick with terminal commands.
Using Findmnt For Detailed Mount Info
The findmnt command is a modern alternative to mount. It shows mounted filesystems in a tree or list. Type findmnt to see all mounts. You’ll get:
TARGET SOURCE FSTYPE OPTIONS / /dev/sda2 ext4 rw,relatime ├─/boot /dev/sda1 vfat rw,relatime └─/mnt/usb /dev/sdb1 vfat rw,relatime
This is cleaner than mount because it groups mounts hierarchically. Add -D to simulate a df output: findmnt -D. It shows size and usage.
For just real devices, use findmnt --real. This filters out tmpfs, devtmpfs, and other virtual filesystems. It’s perfect for seeing only your physical drives.
Checking Mounted Drives In /Proc/mounts
The file /proc/mounts contains all current mount points. You can read it with cat /proc/mounts. It’s similar to the mount command output but without formatting. Use grep to filter for devices:
cat /proc/mounts | grep "^/dev"
This gives you a raw list. It’s useful for scripting or when other commands aren’t available. But for daily use, lsblk or findmnt are easier to read.
Understanding Mount Points And Device Names
Mount points are directories where drives are attached. Common mount points include / (root), /mnt, /media, and /run/media. When you plug in a USB drive, it often mounts under /media/username/ or /run/media/username/.
Device names like /dev/sda refer to physical disks. sda is the first SCSI/SATA disk, sdb is the second, and so on. Partitions are numbered: sda1, sda2. NVMe drives use /dev/nvme0n1.
If you see a device in lsblk but no mount point, it’s not mounted. You can mount it manually with sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/usb. But first, make sure the mount point directory exists.
Common Issues When Checking Mounted Drives
Sometimes a drive doesn’t show up even when plugged in. This could be due to a missing driver, a dead port, or a filesystem Linux can’t read. For example, some NTFS drives need the ntfs-3g package installed. If you don’t see the drive, check dmesg | tail for kernel messages.
Another issue is permissions. If you can’t access a mounted drive, check the mount options. Drives mounted with noexec or nodev may have restrictions. Use mount | grep /dev/sdb1 to see options.
If a drive appears in lsblk but not in df, it might be mounted but hidden. Check findmnt for bind mounts or overlay filesystems. These are less common but can confuse beginners.
Using Inxi For System Info
The inxi command gives a comprehensive system overview, including drives. Install it with sudo apt install inxi on Debian/Ubuntu. Then run inxi -d to see drive info. It shows device names, sizes, and mount points in a readable format.
For example:
Drives: Local Storage: total: 245.5 GiB used: 14.1 GiB (5.7%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 250GB size: 238.5 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: Kingston model: DataTraveler size: 7.5 GiB
This is great for a quick overview, but it doesn’t show all mount points. Use it alongside lsblk for full details.
Automating Drive Checks With Scripts
If you frequently need to see mounted drives, write a simple script. For example:
#!/bin/bash echo "Mounted drives:" lsblk -o NAME,MOUNTPOINT,SIZE,FSTYPE | grep -v "loop"
Save it as check-drives.sh, make it executable with chmod +x check-drives.sh, and run it. This filters out loop devices (like Snap packages) and shows only real drives.
You can also use mount | column -t for a formatted list. The column command aligns columns for easier reading.
Understanding The /Etc/fstab File
The /etc/fstab file defines which drives mount automatically at boot. It’s not a list of currently mounted drives, but it shows what should be mounted. Check it with cat /etc/fstab. You’ll see lines like:
UUID=1234-5678 / ext4 defaults 0 1 UUID=abcd-efgh /mnt/data ext4 defaults 0 2
This tells you the expected mount points. If a drive is listed here but not mounted, you can mount it with sudo mount -a. This is useful for troubleshooting why a drive isn’t showing up.
But remember, /etc/fstab doesn’t show removable drives. Those are usually mounted automatically by udev or udisks. For those, use lsblk or findmnt.
Using Udisks For Removable Drives
The udisksctl command manages removable drives. Run udisksctl status to see all drives. It shows device names and whether they’re mounted. For example:
Model: Kingston DataTraveler
Size: 7.5 GiB
Mounted: yes
Mount point: /media/user/USB
This is a user-friendly way to see mounted drives, especially for USB sticks. It doesn’t require root permissions. Use udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdb1 to mount a drive.
Checking Network Drives
Network drives like NFS or Samba mounts also appear in mount and df. They show as server:/path on the source column. For example:
192.168.1.100:/share on /mnt/nfs type nfs4 (rw,relatime)
If you don’t see them, check if the network service is running. Use systemctl status nfs-client.target or systemctl status smbd. Network drives can be tricky because they depend on network connectivity.
For a quick check, use mount -t nfs to list only NFS mounts. Similarly, mount -t cifs for Samba mounts.
Using Gnome Disks Utility
If you’re on GNOME, the “Disks” app is excellent. Open it from the applications menu. It shows all drives on the left. Click a drive to see partitions and mount points. The mount point is listed under “Contents” or “Mount Point”. You can also mount or unmount drives from here.
This tool is great for visual learners. It also shows SMART data for health checks. But for scripting or remote access, stick with commands.
Common Mistakes When Seeing Mounted Drives
One common mistake is confusing device names. /dev/sda might be your system drive, not a USB. Always check the size to confirm. Another mistake is forgetting to use sudo for some commands. fdisk -l and mount often need root privileges to show all drives.
Also, don’t assume a drive is mounted just because it appears in lsblk. The MOUNTPOINT column must have a value. If it’s empty, the drive isn’t mounted. You may need to mount it manually.
Finally, some drives use LVM or RAID. These may not appear as simple /dev/sd* devices. Use lvdisplay or mdadm --detail to see them. But for most users, the commands above cover everything.
Summary Of Commands
Here’s a quick reference table for seeing mounted drives:
mount | grep "^/dev"– List mounted deviceslsblk– Tree view of all drivesdf -h– Disk usage with mount pointssudo fdisk -l– All partitionsfindmnt– Hierarchical mount listcat /proc/mounts– Raw mount datainxi -d– System drive infoudisksctl status– Removable drives
Choose the one that fits your needs. For daily use, lsblk is the best balance of simplicity and detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I See All Mounted Drives In Linux?
Use lsblk or mount | grep "^/dev". Both show all mounted drives with their mount points. lsblk also shows unmounted drives.
What Command Shows Mounted Drives In Linux Terminal?
The mount command without options shows all mounted filesystems. For a cleaner view, use findmnt or lsblk.
Why Is My USB Drive Not Showing In Mounted Drives?
Check if it’s detected with lsblk or dmesg | tail. It may need a driver or manual mounting. Also, ensure the filesystem is supported.
Can I See Mounted Drives Without Terminal?
Yes, use the “Disks” utility on GNOME or “Partition Manager” on K