Chapter9.File Management

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Chapter 9. File Management

All information on Linux is organized into files. All information, without exception. A file is the mechanism that Linux uses to store information. You are most likely to need to know about and manage files that contain the following types of information:

  • Data files: Files that contain information stored on the computer. Two types of data files are:

    • Application-specific files: Information created by a specific application, stored in a format that only the application can interpret. Creating, changing, storing, or printing the data file must be done using the application. The documents created by many word processing applications are stored in an application-specific file.

    • Text files: Information stored in a common computer format (ASCII) that most applications can read. Linux system commands can read and modify the file. Your word processor allows you to specifically save your file as text, even though the default is an application-specific file.

  • Programs and applications: Files that contain instructions. When you run a program, Linux reads the instructions in the file and performs the tasks as directed.

  • Image files: Files that contain pictures. You need to use software that understands graphic content to see or modify these files. Graphics files are described in Chapter 14.

  • Configuration files: Files that contain information used by an application to perform its work. For instance, the settings for your desktop are stored in a configuration file. When your desktop starts, it reads the file to see what color the background is, what kind of fonts to use, etc.

In many cases, you create and manipulate data using an application. The application manages the files; you only need to know the data filename. However, on occasion, you need to work with files directly. This chapter describes how files are stored and how to create, copy, move, delete, and otherwise manage them.

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    Spring Into Linux
    Spring Into Linux
    ISBN: 0131853546
    EAN: 2147483647
    Year: 2005
    Pages: 362
    Authors: Janet Valade

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