posted on November 10, 2011 by Justin Pot
Mount virtual disks quickly in Linux. With support for ISO, IMG, BIN, MDF and NRG files and a simple user interface, Furius is the go-to tool for Linux users wanting to mount a virtual file system.
ISO files, and their many brothers, serve a simple purpose â€" allowing you to store the entire contents of a CD or hard drive in a single file. This is useful when you’re downloading an operating system, or when you’re backing up your entire hard drive so you can restore it later. Sometimes though, you might want quick access to the files inside without burning the ISO to disk or restoring the environment to your hard drive.
That’s when “mounting†comes in. This allows you to browse the virtual file system from your computer directly. We’ve shown you 3 tools to mount disks as ISO images, but those programs were all for Windows. Macs mount such files by default, but Linux users need software for the job. That’s where Furius comes in. This simple software allows you to quickly create a mount point for a variety of virtual disks, including ISO files.
Using FuriusThe main screen of Furius is simple and to the point:
Pick which file you want to mount, and where you want to mount it. Then click “mount“, and you’ve got access to the files inside your virtual filesystem. This is a great way to browse a full system backup or install packages from an ISO repository. Create a checksum file, if you want to ensure you’re looking at the right file. Most sites offering ISO downloads also offer a checksum; compare that one with Furius’ and you will know if you’ve got the right file.
The bottom half of the window shows you which ISO files you currently have mounted; you’ll find the mounted filesystems as a basic folder at the mountpoint you set:
Done with your mounted filesystem? Unmount it. Go back to your Furius window and click the “unmount†button, after highlighting the file you’d like to unmount.
Once you’ve done that, you’re done â€" the file is unmounted. You might run into problems if you’ve opened a file inside the mountpoint, so be sure to close everything before you unmount.
As you can tell, this program is simple to use. You can make it even simpler though, by setting it to mount any ISO file you open by default. Find instructions for that on the Furius website.
Install FuriusUbuntu users can simply click here to install Furius.
Using a different Linux distro? Check your distro’s package manager, because Furius is probably there. If not, head to the Furius website to find downloads.
ConclusionIncreasingly, optical drives are becoming obsolete. Their digital versions, however, live on. Being able to access the file inside these digital representations of optical drives directly, without the need to use a consumable CD, is very nice. And Furius makes that easy.
What are you using Furius for? Is it useful for you, or do you know a better way of mounting such files? Share in the comments below. I’d love to join you for a conversation, as always.
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