pmount

Mount a device below /media/ (using device as mount point)

$ pmount [/dev/to/block/device]

$ pmount [[-t|--type]] [filesystem] [/dev/to/block/device] [label]

$ pmount [[-t|--type]] iso9660 [[-r|--read-only]] [/dev/cdrom]

$ pmount [[-t|--type]] ntfs [[-w|--read-write]] [/dev/sdX]

$ pmount

pmount device [label]

device
    The device node to be mounted (e.g., /dev/sdb1). The command will try to automount device at the first suitable device node in /dev/ if possible.

label
    An optional label to use for the mount point. If not specified, pmount will attempt to use the volume label of the device.

The pmount command allows normal users to mount removable devices safely without requiring root privileges or pre-configuration in /etc/fstab.
It's designed primarily for removable media like USB drives, CDs, and DVDs. pmount creates a mount point under /media if one doesn't already exist and then mounts the device there with appropriate permissions, allowing the user who invoked the command to read and write to the device.
It automatically configures the correct ownership and permissions so that the user who invoked the command can read and write to the mounted device.
When the device is no longer needed, the pumount command unmounts it and removes the mount point directory that pmount created.
This command offers a more secure and flexible alternative to statically defined mounts in /etc/fstab, particularly in multi-user environments.

pmount relies on udisks or similar utilities to manage device access and discovery.
Therefore, these utilities must be properly configured for pmount to function correctly.
It supports only one label name which can cause issues if the user wants to create multiple pmount aliases.

pmount's behavior can be customized through configuration files. See pmount.conf for detailed information about all the options. By default, settings are defined in /etc/pmount.conf.

pmount was developed to address the need for a more user-friendly and secure way for regular users to mount removable media.
Traditional methods often required root privileges or complex configurations, posing both security risks and usability challenges.
pmount simplifies this process by allowing users to mount and unmount devices without elevated privileges, improving the overall user experience and security posture.

pumount(1), mount(8), umount(8)