Mastering Linux Kernel Development

Filesystem - high-level view

Filesystems abstract the physical view of storage devices from users, and virtualize storage area on a disk for each valid user of the system through abstract containers called files and directories. Files serve as containers for user data and directories act as containers to a group of user files. In simple words, operating systems virtualize a view of a storage device for each user as a set of directories and files. Filesystem services implement routines to create, organize, store, and retrieve files, and these operations are invoked by user applications through appropriate system call interfaces.

We will begin this discussion by looking at the layout of a simple filesystem, designed to manage a standard magnetic ...