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Everything about Unix file types
File types in Unix-based operating systems
The seven standard Unix file types are regular, directory, symbolic link, FIFO special, block special, character special, and socket as defined by POSIX. These types are used in the file system(s) of a Unix or Unix-like operating system (OS). Different OS-specific implementations allow more types than what POSIX requires. A file's type can be identified by the ls -l command, which displays the type in the first character of the file-system permissions field. Wikipedia →
🧠Start here: a 6-step reading path
- Read the overview: Unix file typesA 5-minute orientation
- Pick up a classic book: The Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinThe most-reprinted book on the subject
- Go sideways: LsA closely related topic
- Go sideways: ChmodA closely related topic
đź“– Definitions
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🗂️ The subject at a glance
🏆 Landmark papers (most cited)
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đź“š Books worth reading
The Autobiography of Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin · 1791- 📕A definition of open path expressionsRoy Harold Campbell · 1982
Ranked by number of editions on Open Library, a rough measure of how lasting a book is.
đź”— Related topics
- Ls ls is a shell command for listing files – including special files such as directories. Originally developed for Unix and later codified by POSIX and Single…
- Chmod chmod is a shell command for changing access permissions and special mode flags of files (including special files such as directories). The name is short…
- File-system permissions Typically, a file system maintains permission settings for each stored item – commonly files and directories – that either grant or deny the ability to…
- Cpio cpio is a general file archiver utility and its associated file format. It is primarily installed on Unix-like computer operating systems. The software…
- Find (Unix) find is a shell command that locates files based on search criteria and performs actions on the matching files such as printing the file system path to…
- Umask umask is a shell command that reports or sets the mask value that limits the file permissions for newly created files in many Unix and Unix-like file systems…
- Sticky bit In computing, the sticky bit is a user ownership access right flag that can be assigned to files and directories on Unix-like systems. There are two definitions…
- Fuser (Unix) The Unix command fuser is used to show which processes are using a specified computer file, file system, or Unix socket. For example, to check process…