Managing Files And Directories; File System Terms; A Larger Picture Of The File System - Red Hat ENTERPRISE LINUX 4 - STEP BY STEP GUIDE Manual

Managing Files and Directories

This chapter explores the general format of your Red Hat Enterprise Linux file system. It bridges the
differences between using Nautilus to manage the files on your system and using a shell prompt to
manage them. It does not go into the minute details of using a shell prompt; those will be covered in
Chapter 4 Shell Prompt Basics. This chapter orients you to the system as a whole, and then you can
choose which method of management you prefer.
Note
Due to system security, unless you are root, you are not allowed to gain access to all system-level
files and directories. If you do not have the permission to open, delete, or execute a file, an error
message is displayed showing your access has been denied. This is normal behavior and is used to
prevent non-privileged users from modifying or deleting important system files.

3.1. File System Terms

Below are a few terms to know before we begin our discussion of the file system.
extension
An extension is that part of a filename that is found after the final ".". In the filename
".txt" is the file's extension. Extensions are used to indicate file type.
path
A path is the string of directories and sub-directories you would have to navigate through in order
to reach a given location in the file system.
root access (or root privileges)
To have root access means to be logged in using the root account. This can be done from the
main login screen, a shell prompt, or any application that requires your root password. Root
access means that the user has permission to do anything on the system, so use root access with
care.
root directory
The root directory is the top-most directory of the file system. All other files and directories exist
in this directory or one of its sub-directories. Do not confuse the root directory, /, with root's
home directory,

3.2. A Larger Picture of the File System

Every operating system has a method of storing data in files and directories so that it can keep track
of additions, modifications, and other changes. In Red Hat Enterprise Linux, every file is stored in
a directory. Directories can also contain directories: these subdirectories may also contain files and
other subdirectories.
.
/root/
Chapter 3.
foo.txt