What is the first command to try if you have missing mount points?

When dealing with missing mount points, the most appropriate first command to use is the one that allows you to create new directories, which is mkdir. Mount points in Linux are essentially directories where file systems are attached, and if a mount point is missing, it simply means that the directory that should host the mounted file system does not exist.

Using mkdir enables you to create the necessary directory so that you can subsequently mount a file system to that directory. Clearly, this command is vital in the context of preparing the system to integrate the desired file system properly.

While other commands like ls, mount, and df provide valuable information or functionalities, they do not directly address the creation of missing directories. ls lists files and directories, mount attaches file systems to mount points but requires those points to already exist, and df shows disk space usage, which isn't relevant when trying to solve the problem of a missing mount point. Therefore, initiating the process with mkdir is essential for setting up the required conditions to mount the file system effectively.