Understand the importance of i-node numbers in Linux

iThe node number (inode number) plays a very important role in the Linux system. It is a unique number used to identify each file or directory in the file system. Understanding the importance of i-node numbers can help us better understand the structure of the file system and how files are managed. This article will demonstrate the importance of i-node numbers through specific code examples.

In Unix and Unix-like operating systems, the file system organizes files and directories in a tree structure. In such a structure, the i-node is an important concept in the file system. It records the metadata information of the file, including the file size, permissions, owner and other information, and uniquely identifies a file or directory through the i-node number. .

iThe node number can be conveniently used to find files or directories in the file system without relying on the file name. This is very useful in some situations, such as when a file name is very long or contains special characters, and the file can be quickly located through the i-node number. In addition, when the file name is modified or the directory structure changes, the i-node number can still accurately identify the file or directory.

Next, we use a simple code example to demonstrate the use and importance of i-node numbers. Suppose we create a file in the Linux system and obtain its i-node number:

# 创建一个名为example.txt的文件
touch example.txt
# 获取example.txt文件的i节点号
ls -i example.txt

Through the above code, we can view the i-node number of the example.txt file in the terminal. This i-node number is a unique numeric identifier that accurately locates the file in the file system. Then, we can find the file by the i-node number:

# 通过i节点号查找example.txt文件
find . -inum <i节点号>

In the above code, we use the find command to find the file by the i-node number. This method can still accurately find files even if the file name changes or is modified.

In addition, the i-node number can also be used to check whether there are duplicate files in the file system. If two files have the same i-node number, they are actually the same file but have different file names. This helps us avoid duplicate storage of files and better manage the file system.

In short, the i-node number plays a very important role in the Linux system. It is the number used to uniquely identify files or directories in the file system. By understanding the importance of i-node numbers, we can better understand the structure of the file system and how files are managed, thereby managing and operating files more effectively.

Through the above code example, we show how to get and use the i-node number of the file, and find the file by the i-node number. I hope this article can help readers better understand and utilize the important concept of i-node numbers.

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