Unix 1.3 File System

UNIX FILE SYSTEM

The UNIX file system is characterised by :

• a hierarchical structure,
• consistent treatment of file data,
• the ability to create and delete files,
• dynamic growth of files,
• the protection of file data,
• the treatment of peripheral devices (such as terminals and tape units) as files.

The file system is organised as a tree with a single root node called root, every non-leaf node of the file system structure is a directory of files, and files at the leaf nodes of the tree are either directories, regular files, or special device files.

Each file or directory is uniquely identified by its name, the directory in which it resides, and a unique identifier, typically called an inode.

The directories have specific purposes and generally hold the same types of information for easily locating files.

/ - This is the root directory which should contain only the directories needed at the top level of the file structure

/bin - This is where the executable files are located. These files are available to all users

/dev - These are device drivers

/etc - Supervisor directory commands, configuration files, disk configuration files, valid user lists, groups, ethernet, hosts, where to send critical messages

/lib - Contains shared library files and sometimes other kernel-related files

/boot - Contains files for booting the system

/home - Contains the home directory for users and other accounts

/mnt - Used to mount other temporary file systems, such as cdrom and floppy for the CD-ROM drive and floppy diskette drive, respectively

/proc - Contains all processes marked as a file by process number or other information that is dynamic to the system

/tmp - Holds temporary files used between system boots

/usr - Used for miscellaneous purposes, and can be used by many users. Includes administrative commands, shared files, library files, and others

/var - Typically contains variable-length files such as log and print files and any other type of file that may contain a variable amount of data

/sbin - Contains binary (executable) files, usually for system administration. For example, fdisk and ifconfig utlities

/kernel - Contains kernel files

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