6 major differences between Linux and Windows file systems

The file system of Linux is different from the file system of Windows in many ways. Instead of seeing any drive letters or backslashes, you'll see an unfamiliar-looking layout where filenames can be the same, but with different case.

This article does not list all the differences in detail, but is just for new users who are new to Linux to help them understand some of the differences between Linux and Windows. Therefore, there may be many other differences not mentioned here.

1. Directory structure

When you start browsing the file system on your Linux computer, you won't see the Windows, Program Files, or Users folders. (Although the /home/ directory is very similar to the Users folder.)

The Linux directory structure not only uses different folder names, but also uses a completely different layout. For example, on Windows, an application might store all its files in C:\Program Files\Application.

On Linux, its files will be split into multiple locations - its binaries in /usr/bin, its libraries in /usr/lib, and its configuration files in /etc/ .

2. Case sensitive

On Windows, there cannot be a file named file and another file named FILE in the same folder. The Windows file system is not case-sensitive, so it treats these names as the same file.

On Linux, file systems are case-sensitive. This means you can have files named file, File and FILE in the same folder. Each file has different content - Linux treats uppercase and lowercase letters as different characters.

3. Backslash and forward slash

Windows uses backslashes, just like DOS. For example, the path to the user directory on Windows is:

“

!! C:\User\Name

”

On Linux, the path to the user’s home directory is:

“

!! /home/name

”

You will also notice that URLs in web browsers (even on Windows) use forward slashes. For example, it is https://www.along.com/article, not http:\www.along.com\article.

4. No drive symbol – all in /

Windows separates partitions and devices in drive symbols. Whether you have multiple hard drives, multiple partitions on the same hard drive, or attached removable devices, each file system is available under its own drive symbol.

Linux does not have a drive letter. Instead, it makes other file systems accessible in arbitrary directories. (Windows can do this too, but it's not the way it works out of the box.)

On Linux, everything is in / – the root directory. There are no files above the root directory, whereas on Windows there are files outside of C:. When you connect your device to your computer, it will be available under /media/. Directory contents shows the contents of the mounted partition.

If you have multiple hard drives or hard drive partitions, you can mount them anywhere you like on the file system. (Public account: Network Engineer Aaron) For example, you can put your home directory on a separate partition by mounting another partition in /home. However, you can mount the partition anywhere you like - you can even mount it at /myBackupDrive.

5. Everything is a file

Just as every mounted file system is a directory under / (the root directory), everything on Linux is a file. For example, your first hard drive is represented by /dev/sda, your CD drive is at /dev/cdrom, and your mouse is represented by /dev/mouse.

This sentence is actually a bit too hasty - not everything is regarded as a file on Linux. But understanding what this means will help you understand how Linux works.

6. You can delete or modify open files

On Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems, applications do not lock exclusive access to files as frequently as on Windows. For example, let's say you are watching a video file in VLC on Windows. The title sequence is playing and you've finished watching it, so you try to delete it. You will see an error message – You need to stop viewing the file in VLC before you can delete it, rename it, or do anything else with it.

On Linux, you can usually delete or modify a video file while it is playing. You won't see an error message saying the file is in use.

These differences also apply to other UNIX-like operating systems. However, there may be some differences - for example, Mac OS X is not case-sensitive. It is not case sensitive, just like Windows.

The above is the detailed content of 6 major differences between Linux and Windows file systems. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!