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Abubakar
Abubakar

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File System (High Level Explanation)

This is in no way a perfect explanation but I will be providing you a very high level explanation(100ft) to paint the right picture needed to study this topic deeper. I will be keeping it as simple as possible.

File system is a software or a library used by an operating system to handle data related operations such as storage, arrangement, deletion and so on.

Need an Analogy?

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You just bought your first house, your room is quite empty with only a bed and few things. You need to get something to put your clothes, shoes and accessories in a nice orderly manner making it easy to reach for them when needed.

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You go ahead to get a closet which contains different compartments for storing your needed items and also in an orderly manner.

Interpreting this analogy

The person in concern which is you is the kernel, the file system is the closet and your room is the storage device.

The kernel uses a file system to provide a sense of arrangement and availability of data written to storage devices.

This explains the statement mounting a storage device using a particular file system.

This simply means using a particular file system to handle data operations on that storage device. Such as displaying a file.

Another way to understand file system is by interpreting as " how do you want your data arranged on this storage device?"

Conclusion

A file system provides a level of abstraction to make sense of different data operations going on within a computer and how they get stored in a storage device making it easily available when needed. Without them processes such as saving a file on Microsoft word will not be as easy as typing Ctrl + s, as there will be extra commands required by the operating system to ensure the file is saved to the intended storage device on the computer.

A file system to a storage device is what your closet is to your room.

I hope you found this helpful?
Each Operating system has its filesystem.
Go ahead and study it at a much deeper level.

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