Exploring the internal structure of the Linux file system

Title: Exploring the internal structure of the Linux file system

Linux operating system is famous for its stability and flexibility. As one of its core, the file system plays a key role. An in-depth understanding of the internal structure of the Linux file system not only helps us understand the working principle of the operating system, but also helps us better manage and optimize the system. This article will explore the internal structure of the Linux file system with detailed code examples and explanations.

1. Introduction to File System

The file system is the mechanism used by computers to organize, store and manage files. In Linux systems, common file systems include ext4, XFS, Btrfs, etc. These file systems store files on a hard drive or other storage device and provide read and write access to the data. The design of a file system affects the performance, reliability, and scalability of the system.

2. File system structure

1. Super block (superblock): The super block stores metadata information of the file system, such as file system type, block size, number of inodes, etc. In the ext4 file system, the superblock can be obtained by:

sudo dumpe2fs /dev/sda1 | grep superblock

2. Index node (inode): inode storage file Metadata information, such as file size, permissions, owner, etc. Each file corresponds to an inode. You can view the inode information of the file through the following command:

ls -i filename

3. Data block: data block storage The actual data content of the file. The file system will disperse and store data in multiple data blocks according to a certain block size (usually 4KB).
4. Directory entry: Directory entry associates the file name with the corresponding inode number. You can view the files in the directory and the corresponding inode numbers through the following command:

ls -l

3. File system operation example

1. Create a file System:

sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdb1

2. Mount file system:

sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt 

3. Create directory:

mkdir /mnt/test

4. Create file:

touch /mnt /test/file.txt

5. View file system information:

df -h

Through the above examples and operations, we can have an in-depth understanding of Linux Internal structure and operation of file systems. It is crucial for system administrators and developers to be proficient in the principles and management methods of file systems. I hope this article can help readers better understand and use the Linux file system.

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