# External HDD setup

Step-by-step guide to partition, format and auto-mount an external drive with GPT and exFAT for use across Windows, macOS and Linux.

---

## Format drive

1. ### Identify drive

   ```sh
   # Identify the target drive, i.e., /dev/sde
   lsblk
   ```

2. ### Unmount the partition

   ```sh
   sudo umount /dev/sde*
   ```

3. ### Install gdisk

   ```sh
   sudo apt install gdisk exfat-fuse exfatprogs -y
   ```

4. ### Start gdisk on the disk

   Make sure you use the disk `/dev/sde` not the partition `/dev/sde1`

   ```sh
   sudo gdisk /dev/sde
   ```

5. ### Delete the existing partition
   - Type `d` to delete the existing partition (/dev/sde1).
   - Defaults to partition `1`.

6. ### Create a new partition table
   - Type `o` to create a new GPT partition table.
   - Confirm with `Y`.

7. ### Create the partition
   - Type `n` to create a new partition.
   - Follow the prompts to create a partition with the default values:
     - Partition number: press `Enter` (default is 1)
     - First sector: press `Enter` (default)
     - Last sector: press `Enter` (default)
     - Partition type: `0700` (Microsoft basic data)

8. ### Write changes
   - Type `w` to write the changes.
   - Confirm with `Y`.

9. ### Format partition as exFAT

   ```sh
   sudo mkfs.exfat -n MYDRIVE /dev/sde1
   ```

10. ### Verify partition and filesystem
    ```sh
    sudo parted /dev/sde print
    ```

## Mount drive

1.  ### Identify mounted drives

    The first step is to identify the drives that are currently mounted on your system. This will help you locate the external HDD and determine where it’s currently mounted, if at all.

    ```sh
    lsblk
    ```

2.  ### Obtain drive UUID

    Each drive in Linux has a unique identifier called the UUID. This step shows you how to obtain the UUID of your external HDD, which will be used for reliable mounting.

    ```sh
    sudo blkid /dev/sda1
    ```

3.  ### Create a mount point

    A mount point is a directory where your external HDD will be accessed. In this step, you’ll create a directory that will serve as the location for your drive’s mount.

    ```sh
    sudo mkdir -p {{EXTERNAL_HDD_PATH_VAR}}
    ```

4.  ### Change ownership of mount point

    After creating the mount point, it's important to set the appropriate ownership and permissions for the directory. This ensures that the user or group can access the external HDD properly.

    ```sh
    sudo chown -R $USER:$USER {{EXTERNAL_HDD_PATH_VAR}} && sudo chmod -R 755 {{EXTERNAL_HDD_PATH_VAR}}
    ```

5.  ### Modify fstab for auto-mount

    The /etc/fstab file controls how filesystems are mounted during system boot. This step shows you how to modify fstab to automatically mount your external HDD every time the system starts.

    ```sh
    sudo nano /etc/fstab
    ```

6.  ### Add mount entry to fstab

    You’ll add a new line to the fstab file, <u>below other entries</u>, to specify how your external HDD should be mounted. This entry ensures the drive is automatically mounted at boot time using its UUID.

    ```sh
    UUID={{EXTERNAL_HDD_UUID_VAR}}  {{EXTERNAL_HDD_PATH_VAR}}       ext4            auto,nofail,noatime,rw,users,exec  0    0
    ```

7.  ### Unmount external HDD

    Before making permanent changes, unmount the drive to ensure it’s safely disconnected from the system. This step avoids any potential data corruption while you edit configuration files.

    ```sh
    sudo umount /dev/sda1
    ```

8.  ### Reboot or remount

    Once all changes are made, reboot your system to apply the fstab modifications and ensure that your external HDD mounts correctly at startup.

              ```sh
              sudo reboot
              ```

          Remount the HDD without rebooting.

              ```sh
              sudo mount -o remount {{EXTERNAL_HDD_PATH_VAR}}
              ```