- store files
- a file is a sequence of bytes with a name and some meta data
- the filesystem has no idea whatsoever what these bytes mean. Is it a text stored as ASCII characters, or a jpeg image? It has n idea.
- although, the end of the name often gives a hint (to a user or a program, but not to the fs) of the type of file. Point is, the fs does not care, because it treats all bytes equally.
- meta data: owner, permissions, length, time of creation, time of modification
- files can be grouped into containers called 'directories'
- directories also can be grouped into direcotries
- recursive tree structure
- an absolute path unambiguously identifies a file (and therefor a certain sequence of bytes). It tells you where to go from the root of the tree to find that file, like a step to step navigation.
from the root, find the directory that says 'users'. In 'users' find the directory that says ....
- a relative path however describes a location from a different starting point. If you ask someone for the train station, you might get a description like
First get out of the cafe, then follow 'main street' until you get to ...
overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hRhY1kNysY fat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjVktRd35G8