There's a Lot in the Dot: Filesystem Permissions and Pathnames (Part 2)

Mar 26, 2010, 07:04 (0 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Jerry Peek)

[ Thanks to An Anonymous Reader for this link. ]

"In the previous article we saw how the hidden directory entries named . (dot) and .. (dot dot) tie the filesystem together. Those names are hard links that reference the actual filesystem object through the index number. A directory always has at least two names: . and its given name. You can always reach the parent directory through the .. entry.

"Now let’s dig into how pathnames and permissions work internally. (If you’re familiar with all of this, try the quiz at the end.)

"Two Paths to the Same Place

"Pathnames can confuse users, but they’re actually simple when you see how they work. A pathname gives the location of an object (a file, a directory, a socket, etc.) in the filesystem. There are two kinds of pathname: absolute (or full) and relative:"

Complete Story

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