File System

Question 1

File System

Answer 1

Structure used by the OS to store and organize files/directories on storage media. Manages file names, paths, access control, and disk space allocation.

Question 2

Directory

Answer 2

A folder that contains files or other directories; used to organize data hierarchically.

Question 3

Path

Answer 3

Location address of a file or directory in the hierarchy (e.g., /home/user/file.txt)

Question 4

File Metadata

Answer 4

Data about a file (e.g., size, type, creation date, permissions).

Question 5

Mounting

Answer 5

Process of making a file system accessible to the OS by attaching it to a directory structure (e.g., mounting a USB drive).

Question 6

File Allocation Table (FAT)

Answer 6

A simple file system structure that maps where files are stored on disk. Variants: FAT16, FAT32.

Question 7

NTFS (New Technology File System)

Answer 7

Advanced Windows file system with support for permissions, encryption, compression, and journaling.

Question 8

ext4

Answer 8

Modern Linux file system; supports journaling, large volumes, and high performance.

Question 9

Permissions

Answer 9

Rules determining who can read/write/execute a file or folder (e.g., rwx in Linux).

Question 10

Journaling

Answer 10

Feature of some file systems (e.g., NTFS, ext4) that logs changes before committing them to disk to prevent corruption during crashes.

Question 11

Block

Answer 11

Minimum storage unit on a disk; file systems manage files by allocating blocks.

Question 12

Inode

Answer 12

Data structure in Unix/Linux file systems storing file metadata (not file name or content).