| Now that you have completed this chapter,
you should have a firm understanding of the following:
The UNIX file system
structure is made up of directories, subdirectories and files.
Directories can be created by the operating system, applications
programs, system administrators and end users.
The location of all files and
directories in the file system can be specified using an absolute
or relative pathname. Absolute pathname always start with the root
directory (/). Relative pathnames are specified based on where you are
in the directory structure.
You can tell where you are in the
directory structure using the pwd
command and you can move around or navigate the directory structure
using the cd
command. Shortcuts make navigating the directory structure easier.
The ls
command can be used to display the contents of a directory, showing the
files and subdirectories that are there. Many options are available
with the ls
command to determine what is displayed and how.
Metacharacters are non-alphanumeric
symbols that have special meaning to the shell. Metacharacters
including the asterisk and question mark wildcards can be used with
many UNIX commands for added flexibility. |