Operating System Fundamentals
Figure 6.5 The Linux File Manager Tool
Download 2.34 Mb. View original pdf
|
best answers from c, Lesson 2 C# Windows Forms
| Figure 6.5 The Linux File Manager Tool As with Windows Explorer, the Linux File Manager tool provides a graphical depiction of a disks hierarchical file structure in the left pane. Again, icons depicting a selected directory‘s contents are shown in the right pane, and the user can select several options for what information is displayed about the files and folders listed. Unit Summary When using any computer, both the system and the user will need to store files when they are not in use. Because the RAM used to store data and instructions while they are in use is temporary, permanent data storage is achieved using large capacity storage devices such as magnetic hard disks. The operating systems File Manager is responsible for managing the data stored on a storage device, which includes providing a file system with rules for encoding, storing, organizing and retrieving data. This data is typically organized into files and folders in a hierarchical structure. Modern operating systems use a variety of strategies for allocating and managing the space used by pieces of files, which are often scattered (or fragmented) throughout a hard disk. The most common are the Contiguous Allocation, Linked Allocation and Indexed Allocation strategies. Each strategy uses a different method of allocating and tracking space for files, and each has advantages and disadvantages. Different operating systems use different file systems for encoding and managing data. Two of the most common file systems are FAT and NTFS. While NTFS is used by newer versions of Windows (including XP, Vista and Windows 7), FAT is still useful because it is more efficient for use with smaller capacity storage devices (such as USB flash drives, memory cards, or flash memory in mobile devices. Operating System Fundamentals 86 When a hard disk is formatted and partitioned for use with a file system (and an operating system, a Master Boot Record is created before the first primary partition. The Master Boot Record contains instructions for booting a system once BIOS routines have been completed. It also contains a Partition Table, which describes the partitions that have been created on the disk. From a users perspective, files exist on a storage device as single items. Files are categorized by file type, which is indicated by a file extension. The extension associates a file with the application that will use it. Files also have associated attributes, which can be used to improve file security and management. Files are organized into directories (or folders) and subdirectories or subfolders). Windows operating systems provide a tool called Windows Explorer which helps the user to graphically navigate and manipulate files and folders in the hierarchical file structure of a disk. A similar tool, called the File Manager, is provided by Linux. Key Terms Absolute path Archive Attributes Contiguous Contiguous allocation strategy Directory Disk quota End of File (EOF) indicator Extension FAT File File compression File directory File encryption File Manager File system File type Folder Hidden Hierarchical structure Index Index block Indexed allocation strategy Linked allocation strategy Linux File Manager Master Boot Record NTFS File Allocation Table Partition Table Path Read Only Relative path Root Shared files Subdirectory Subfolder Volatile memory Windows Explorer Operating System Fundamentals 87 Review Questions 1. List any 5 responsibilities of the File Manager. 2. Name the 3 common Data Storage Strategies. Briefly describe how they work. 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Indexed Allocation Method 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the Linked Allocation method 5. In what ways are NTFS more reliable than FAT file system 6. How does NTFS handle space efficiency 7. List all security features provided by NTFS. 8. Describe the purpose of the Master Boot Record and Partition Table. 9. Describe the hierarchical file structure used by Windows. What is the difference between an absolute path and a relative path to a file List and describe four file attributes associated with files in NTFS. |