How to add USB hard drive in RHT 5.

[Linux_naive]

Hi,
I am trying to add USB hard drive. What are the commands to add it.
Thanks for your help in advance.....

Bye

[devils casper]

Do you want to use it as Data storage or move one of Linux partition like /home or /var or anything like that?

[Rubberman]

What do you mean by "add USB hard drive"? Do you mean that you want to add a USB drive for normal data storage (online all the time)? If so, then do the following:

1. Get a USB drive or drive and USB enclosure.
2. Plug it in to your system. If it is already formatted with a FAT file system, it will automount, but you REALLY don't want to use a FAT file system for normal Linux storage, so if that happens, manually unmount the drive.
3. WIth the drive unmounted, run fdisk on the root device id for the drive. You will remove the FAT partition if it exists, add a linux partition that takes up some or all of the disc, and write the partition table back to disc.
4. Format the partition using mkfs.ext3 or whatever other file system type you want.
5. Add an entry for the drive to /etc/fstab if you want it mounted on bootup or if you want it located on a particular mount point, or don't bother as it will automount in /media after the system boots.

I do this all the time to make backup discs. I use inexpensive Seagate drives in a USB enclosure that lets me install a drive without tools (turn thumbscrew, pop out/in drive, plug in, turn on, bingo). Given that 500GB-1TB drives are WAAYYY cheaper than tape for backups these days, it's a no-brainer for me - about $0.10 USD per GB and the enclosure for sata drives w/ USB and eSata connectivity is about $45 USD. So, I keep a stack of 1TB 7200RPM sata-2 discs for backup and archival on the shelf. If you can, use an eSata connection - it is about 8-10x as fast as USB 2.0 connections - 3gbps vs 450mbps. If you do use the eSata connection instead of USB, then you will have to add it to /etc/fstab, but that is fine since the device will maintain its device id.

[b2bwild]

If you dont want get messed with commands. like fdisk.
You can simply use graphical partition manager, If you dont have it install
take a Lookt at here - Fedora10 - Fedora Guide
Its way to go, and you wont need any help with it, i guess.