File Management in UNIX
UNIX is one of the most influential operating systems ever developed, forming the backbone of Linux, macOS, cloud servers, and enterprise systems. One of its greatest strengths is its simple, elegant, and powerful file system structure. This rewritten post explains file management, inodes, directories, system calls, links, IPC, processes, and memory management in UNIX , in a clear and modern style suitable for students, job seekers, and professionals. SECTION I – FILE MANAGEMENT IN UNIX 1. How UNIX Represents Devices In UNIX, everything is treated as a file . This includes keyboards, disks, terminals and other hardware components. All device files are stored inside the /dev directory and are classified as: ✔ Regular File A normal file that stores user data. ✔ Block Special File Represents block-oriented devices (like disks). Data transfers occur in blocks. ✔ Character Special File Represents character-based devices such as keyboards or serial ports, transferring data as a s...