How to mount one partition from an image file that contains multiple partitions on Linux?

Question

The image file has a partition table, and it contains multiple partitions.

loopback devices might be a possibility.

Related threads:

• http://linux.derkeiler.com/Mailing-Lists/Kernel/2005-01/7183.html
• http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/grub-devel/2005-01/msg00077.html
• ftp://ftp.hq.nasa.gov/pub/ig/ccd/enhanced_loopback/

Answer 1

You might do it like this, without much hassle:

# kpartx -v -a logging-test.img  add map loop0p1 (251:0): 0 497664 linear /dev/loop0 2048 add map loop0p2 (251:1): 0 66605058 linear /dev/loop0 501758 add map loop0p5 (251:2): 0 66605056 251:1 2 # ls /dev/mapper/ control  loop0p1  loop0p2  loop0p5 # mount /dev/mapper/loop0p1 /mnt/test # mount  | grep test /dev/mapper/loop0p1 on /mnt/test type ext2 (rw) # 

And to remove the loop device after you finished:

# kpartx -v -d logging-test.img del devmap : loop0p2 del devmap : loop0p1 loop deleted : /dev/loop0 # 

Answer 2

If you have util-linux v2.21 or higher, you can now do this with losetup. Use the -P (--partscan) option to read the partition table and create device nodes for each partition:

# losetup --show -f -P test.img /dev/loop0  # ls /dev/loop0* /dev/loop0 /dev/loop0p1 /dev/loop0p2  # mount /dev/loop0p1 /mnt/tmp