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Re: [tlug] Permissions are like Rubik's cubes [SOLVED]



On Tue, 2 Sep 2008, Stephen J. Turnbull wrote:

Tod McQuillin writes:

> Actually, it lives in the file's inode.  The directory contains just
> filenames and pointers to inodes.

OK.  So what is your preferred name for the collection of facts that
includes both the directory and the information in inodes (plus
extended attributes which may or may not be kept in inodes, etc, etc)?

"Metadata" is the first word that comes to mind for me, but I guess I can sort of see why you might not like it.


Unix filesystem semantics can be confusing sometimes, for example when you have allocated inodes with allocated storage space associated with them but no directory anywhere pointing to them (i.e. files which have been unlinked but which are still in use).

Things like this are common enough that it's worth keeping the distinctions clear. I have lots of questions along these lines on my list of interview questions for Unix sysadmins.

For example, given the case above where a file has been unlinked, do you know how to find out with 100% certainty which process is holding a reference to the largest unlinked file?
--
Tod McQuillin



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