Files and File System Structure
Syed Mansoor Sarwar, Robert M. Koretsky · 2018
Most computer users work with the file system structure of the computer system that they use. While using a computer system, a user is constantly performing file-related operations: creating, reading, and writing. This chapter explains the Linux concept of file and discusses the various types of files supported by Linux. It also explains the notion of pathnames, the structure and user view of the Linux file system. The chapter describes the user interface to the Linux file system—browsing the file system and how a Linux file is stored on the disk. Over the history of Linux, various file systems have been used to provide speed, efficiency, security, and utility to an ordinary user. Three contemporary and extremely important file systems are the Extended File System, XFS File System, and the Zettabyte File System. The following commands can be used to display file contents: cat, cd, du, echo, fallocate, file, findmnt, getconf, ls, mkdir, more, pwd, rmdir, and touch.