How to Check SD Card in Linux?

What is an SD Card in Linux?

SD card stands for Secure Digital card. It is a removable storage device. It uses flash memory technology to store the data in it. It is mainly used to expand the size of any storage device. It is a portable device. It can be used in cameras, mobile phones, tablets, etc. This is one of the best ways to store our data. 

In Linux, an SD card can be used as a block device, such as a hard drive. If we have valid permissions, then, in Linux, we can perform read, write, and manage our data on the SD card.

**Now, you might be wondering how to check SD card in Linux. Let us discuss some commands that we can use to check an SD card in Linux.

Commands to Check SD Card in Linux

There are several commands to check an SD card in Linux:

1. lsblk Command

The lsblk command is used to list all available block devices. This will also include our SD card. We can run this command in our CLI. We will see a list of all devices in which we will also see information like their sizes and mount points. If we write this command in our CLI, 

lsblk

We will be getting the following result:

Now, we can check if we have connected our SD card with the system, it will be visible here. 

2. fdisk Command

The fdisk command is used to view the partition layout of our SD card. We can use fdisk -l /dev/sdZ. We need to replace “Z” with the appropriate letter for our SD card. We can see detailed information about the partitions on the card. So, suppose our SD card is present in sda, we can write this command in our CLI

fdisk -l /dev/sda

We will be getting the following result:

After executing the command, we will get information about the particular disk.

3. dmesg Command

The dmesg command is used to display kernel messages. This will also include information about recently connected devices like an SD card. We can run the dmesg | tail command in our CLI, and it will show the last few lines of kernel messages. If we write this command in our CLI

sudo dmesg|tail

We will be getting the following result:

Now, we can check if any SD card is recently connected.

4. df Command

The df command is used to see the disk space usage. We can see the usage of our mounted file system by this command. This will also include our SD card if it's mounted. If we write this command in our CLI

df

We will be getting the following result:

Now, if we have our SD card connected, it will show here in this list.

5. fsck Command

fsck stands for file system consistency check. The fsck command is used to check and repair the file system on a storage device, such as a hard drive or a partition. Now, if we have our SD card in sda, then we can write the command in our CLI

sudo fsck /dev/sda1

xWe will be getting the following result:

Now, we can see the number of files and clusters if we have connected our SD card.

**Note: We are not currently using any SD card, so if you have an SD card, then you can check your SD card by writing above mentioned commands.

**Now you might be thinking, why do we need to check an SD card in Linux? 

Why Check SD Card in Linux?

There are several reasons to check an SD card in Linux:

• Data Verification: If we verify an SD card in Linux, then we can make sure that the data on it is intact. We can also check that data hasn't been corrupted
   
• Mounting: We know that before using an SD card, we need to mount it. So, if we check an SD card on Linux, then we can make sure that it's properly recognized and ready to be mounted
   
• Troubleshooting: If we face any issue with our SD card, then we can check it using Linux commands. This will help us to identify problems and potential solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we use these commands to check the SD card on any Linux distribution?

Yes, we can use these commands to check the SD card on any Linux distribution. All the mentioned commands are available across most Linux distributions.

Is there a graphical way to check an SD card in Linux?

Yes, there is a graphical way to check an SD card in Linux. Many file managers in Linux provide graphical interfaces. We can use these interfaces to view and manage connected storage devices.

Do we need superuser or root privileges to use these commands?

Yes, some commands, like fdisk and lsblk, might require superuser privileges. We can use sudo before the command to execute it as root.

Can we damage my SD card by checking it in Linux?

No, we cannot damage our SD card by checking. All these commands are read-only and won't damage our SD card.

How often should we check my SD card?

We should check our SD card whenever we connect it to our system. It's a good practice to check your SD card in Linux. 

Conclusion

In this blog, we have discussed how to check SD card in Linux. We have also explained commands to check the SD card in Linux with the help of screenshots. If you want to learn more about Linux, then you can check out our blogs:

• Linux Operating System
   
• Chmod Command in Linux
   
• Features of linux operating system
   
• pwd command in linux
   

We hope this blog helps you to get knowledge about how to check SD card in Linux. You can refer to our guided paths on the Coding Ninjas Studio platform. You can check our course to learn more about DSA, DBMS, Competitive Programming, Python, Java, JavaScript, etc. 

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