Re: Mystery of file systems

From: Noah Roberts (nroberts_at_dontemailme.com)
Date: 07/07/05

  • Next message: Kalle: "Default shell problem" 
    Date: Wed, 06 Jul 2005 22:11:23 -0700

    x wrote:
    > hi
    >
    > I am a beginner of linux os. I have a question regarding the file
    > systems. In my understanding linux operates on ext3/ext2 type of file
    > system more like windows operate on fat or ntfs file systems. Where as
    > I have read at some place that /proc is also a file system, as far as
    > my understanding goes /proc is a mount point, how can it be a file
    > system. Similarly I happen to see a unix system (Octane 2) which
    > described /ext as a file system more over it also described dks07ds02
    > (or something like this) as a file system.
    >
    > Someone please tell me how do we understand file systems and y do we
    > call the mount points as file systems (please keep in mind that you are
    > talking to a complete beginner of linux).

    You seem to have a decent understanding actually. /proc IS a mount
    point. There is a proc filesystem which is basically a kernel interface
    api that is mounted at /proc but '/proc' is a mount point. In your
    example above /ext is a mountpoint and dks07ds02 looks like a device
    entry that would probably be better named as /dev/dks07ds02 or something
    like that (remember in unix devices are named as files). Your confusion
    is brought on by the fact that sometimes people use these terms
    interchangably.

    Calling a mount point a filesystem is really a misuse of terms. When
    people refer to it that way they really are refering to the filesystem
    that is mounted at that point. When people refer to devices as
    filesystems they usually mean the filesystem on that device.

    Hope that helps.

  • Next message: Kalle: "Default shell problem"

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