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This chapter describes commands which create special types of files (and
rmdir
, which removes directories, one special file type).
Although Unix-like operating systems have markedly fewer special file types than others, not everything can be treated only as the undifferentiated byte stream of normal files. For example, when a file is created or removed, the system must record this information, which it does in a directory—a special type of file. Although you can read directories as normal files, if you’re curious, in order for the system to do its job it must impose a structure, a certain order, on the bytes of the file. Thus it is a “special” type of file.
Besides directories, other special file types include named pipes (FIFOs), symbolic links, sockets, and so-called special files.
• link invocation: | Make a hard link via the link syscall | |
• ln invocation: | Make links between files. | |
• mkdir invocation: | Make directories. | |
• mkfifo invocation: | Make FIFOs (named pipes). | |
• mknod invocation: | Make block or character special files. | |
• readlink invocation: | Print value of a symlink or canonical file name. | |
• rmdir invocation: | Remove empty directories. | |
• unlink invocation: | Remove files via the unlink syscall |
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