How to Identify what is on what partition? <SOLVED>

[MCP]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

[Old-Polack]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

Mount the partitions you are in doubt about, and have a look-see with your file manager.

[MCP]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

Mount the partitions you are in doubt about, and have a look-see with your file manager.

OH!  That's too easy! Must be a harder way!

I should have thought of that one.  But like I said I haven't had to reinstall for so long I've forgotten how to do things.

Thanks,
MCP

[Old-Polack]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

Mount the partitions you are in doubt about, and have a look-see with your file manager.

OH!  That's too easy! Must be a harder way!

I should have thought of that one.  But like I said I haven't had to reinstall for so long I've forgotten how to do things.

Thanks,
MCP

You could do it all from the command line...

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /mnt/here              <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<whatever> /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /mnt/here                <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# umount /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<next whatever> /mnt/here                <Enter>

Rinse, and repeat, until all partitions contents are revealed.

The nice thing with this way is a consistent mount point, and not having to click your way through the GUI file manager with each partition. It's what I do when I want to check a partition. I always have /mnt/here and /mnt/there directories handy, in case I want to mount two partitions temporarily and copy some files from one to the other.

[MCP]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

Mount the partitions you are in doubt about, and have a look-see with your file manager.

OH!  That's too easy! Must be a harder way!

I should have thought of that one.  But like I said I haven't had to reinstall for so long I've forgotten how to do things.

Thanks,
MCP

You could do it all from the command line...

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /mnt/here              <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<whatever> /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /mnt/here                <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# umount /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<next whatever> /mnt/here                <Enter>

Rinse, and repeat, until all partitions contents are revealed.

The nice thing with this way is a consistent mount point, and not having to click your way through the GUI file manager with each partition. It's what I do when I want to check a partition. I always have /mnt/here and /mnt/there directories handy, in case I want to mount two partitions temporarily and copy some files from one to the other.

That looks like a great and easy way to do it.  I'll give it a try.

Thanks,
MCP

[MCP]

I have a simple problem.  I have 4 physical hard drives which I have added over the years as larger disks became available.  I also have used different distro's before settling on PClinuxOS.  My current install is fully updated and running just fine.  Before I installed it I did install Win7 on another partition and before that I did use PCLOS2009.

Here's my dilemma, It's been so long since I've had to reinstall (pclos is so good) that I've forgotten where and on what partition everything is.  I know where some is because I put labels on those partitions. But I just looked at my drives in gparted and there are some which are not completely empty and are not labeled, so I don't know if I need it or if it can be deleted.

Is there any easy and quick way to see just what each drive is used for?

Any help is greatly appreciated,
MCP

Mount the partitions you are in doubt about, and have a look-see with your file manager.

OH!  That's too easy! Must be a harder way!

I should have thought of that one.  But like I said I haven't had to reinstall for so long I've forgotten how to do things.

Thanks,
MCP

You could do it all from the command line...

[root@localhost ~]# mkdir -p /mnt/here              <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<whatever> /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# ls -l /mnt/here                <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# umount /mnt/here                     <Enter>

[root@localhost ~]# mount /dev/<next whatever> /mnt/here                <Enter>

Rinse, and repeat, until all partitions contents are revealed.

The nice thing with this way is a consistent mount point, and not having to click your way through the GUI file manager with each partition. It's what I do when I want to check a partition. I always have /mnt/here and /mnt/there directories handy, in case I want to mount two partitions temporarily and copy some files from one to the other.

That looks like a great and easy way to do it.  I'll give it a try.

Thanks,
MCP

Just had to post back and say Thanks O.P. that worked great. Now just a small problem.  I have several partitions with distro's that I no longer use and need.  Can I delete or combine them with out adversely affecting the remaining partitions which I still use?

MCP

[Old-Polack]

Just had to post back and say Thanks O.P. that worked great. Now just a small problem.  I have several partitions with distro's that I no longer use and need.  Can I delete or combine them with out adversely affecting the remaining partitions which I still use?

MCP

What I would do is just reformat those partitions, and if you have nothing to install on them, mount them somewhere and use them as data containers. I have separate partitions for videos I d/l, others for music, one that has only liveCD images, one for regular backups, and another for short term backups.

[Vorteggs]

If you erase a partition and if a given distro is installed on a partition after the erased one then it gets different partition number (because of renumbering that system do) from what you have already in your booting file menu.lst.
Hence it will not boot until you change that number. But it's easily done.