FREE ESSAY ON UNIX FILE SYSTEM

UNIX FILE SYSTEM

Unix File System
The Unix File System has the job of maintain all the data which is stored in the 
computer. The data which is maintained includes programs, documents, databases, and 
textfiles. A file in Unix basically refers to the source of input or target of output, 
not just the place where the data is saved. The file itself can be read or be written on

to. The Unix File System consists of three types of Unix files, text and binary files, 
directories and subdirectories, and special more specific directories. 
The three main types of Unix Files are ordinary files, directories, and special 
files. The ordinary file is just something which contains data which can be stored into 
the computer or something that can be written on. These are the more common files in 
which the user works with on a daily basis. The second file is a directory. The 
directory hold information that is used to organized and helps you access other files. 
The directory is stored on a disk and you don't create the directory yourself it is made

for you and Unix does all the work. The last type of file is a special file or device 
file. This is a internal representation of a physical device. This file helps you send 
data using things like the keyboard, the screen, the printer, or the disk drive. 
Ordinary files are divided into two different categories: text files or binary 
files. Text files are the ones that contain letters in which you can read. Text files 
hold documents, memos, shell scripts, and notes. Binary files on the other hand are just

number primarily the number '1' or '0'. These files contain non-textual data like 
pictures. Binary files start to make sense when they are processed by a program. The 
distinction between the text file and the binary file is when you can display the text 
file without having to using a program to process it for the user. 
In the real world or on the computer we use directories and subdirectories to 
organize our lives and our computers. The directories work by collecting the files that 
have things in common and group them in their own directory. A parent directory is one 
that contains other directories, then there is the subdirectory which lies within 
another directory. Sometimes the subdirectory is called a child directory. The user 
doesn't necessarily have to keep up with the directories all they need to do is use the 
right command and Unix will take care of the rest. 
In tangent with the regular directories found on the Unix File System there is 
the base and supreme controller: the root directory. The root directory is the parent 
or ancestry of every directory in the system. The root directory is usually the house 
for other directories but deep within it is the, "heart of Unix" which is commonly 
referred to as the 'kernel'. 
Along with the regular user directories and the root directory there are other 
directories such as the directory which stores the special files and the /usr directory.

These files all hold things like games, different libraries, source files, and can hold 
things like temporary items. Unix also has room for holding programs and other 
executable files are kept in the /bin and /usr/bin directories. In order to keep 
different people straight on the system there are also home directories for each user. 
This directory is associated with the userid and only the user could access it.