2.10.1. The Hierarchical Structure of the File System

Linux for Programmers and Users, Section 3.18

  • A single hierarchical structure that contains all files.
  • Top signified by root (/).
  • Existence of a parent-child relationship.
  • Parent of any file must be a directory.
  • Files accessed with pathnames (like /etc/passwd).

Note

Because of the hierarchical structure, two files can have the same name; they simply have to be in different directories. That is, they need to have different pathnames. A pathname contains one or more /’s, so the / can’t be used to in a filename.

Users can create and remove files only in the directory structure allocated by the system administrator, even though they may otherwise be able to access most of the entire file system. All files and directories have are subject to access control that determines whether a user is able to read, write or execute a file.

../../_images/Unix_file_sys.png

A Typical Unix File System Structure