Chapter 7. Getting to Know the Linux Filesystem

In This Chapter

  • Discovering your way around the filesystem

  • Discerning partitions from directories

  • Adding removable media to the filesystem

  • Understanding filesystem permissions

  • Accessing shared files on Windows computers

I have an existential map. It has “You are here” written all over it.

—Steven Wright

One of the most frustrating things about mastering a new operating system can be figuring out where it keeps files. Instead of keeping all important system files in a single directory, such as the C:\Windows directory in Microsoft Windows, Linux follows the lead of its UNIX cousins and spreads things out a bit more. Although the Linux and Windows setups involve different methods, they are both logical, although it may not feel that way until you understand where to look.

After taking you on a tour of where to find things, this chapter shows you how to work in your filesystem on the command line. Reading this section isn’t mandatory if typing in commands gives you heart palpitations, but it can be handy if you need to fix something later, and some people just like to know how to do these things.

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