Lesson 16 Flashcards
What’s file system metadata? What are some examples of file system metadata?
Metadata is information stored outside of a file or folder. It provides additional information about files and folders. Examples include file flags, extended file attributes, and permissions.
What are some of the common file flags used by OS X?
Common file flags include the locked flag, which locks files from changes, and the hidden flag, which hides the item in the Finder.
What are file system tags? Where can you find tags in the user interface?
File system tags are a type of metadata that allow you to quickly assign keywords, or “tags” to any item. The user can customize the tag names and colors.
How does the Spotlight search service use metadata?
The Spotlight search service creates index databases of file system metadata so that it can perform normally time- intensive searches nearly instantly. File system tags can be found in the Finder sidebar, Spotlight search, and any open or save document dialogs.
Where does Spotlight store its metadata index databases? How about the Spotlight plug-ins?
Spotlight metadata index databases are stored at the root of every volume in a /.Spotlight-V100 folder. However, a Legacy FileVault user’s database is stored in his encrypted home folder. And the Mail application maintains its own database in each user’s home folder at ~/Library/Mail/V2/MailData/ Envelope Index. Spotlight plug-ins can be located in any of the Library folders in a folder named Spotlight.
What are some privacy and security concerns with the Spotlight service?
Though Spotlight indexes file and folder permissions, it allows other users to search the contents of locally attached nonsystem volumes when ownership is ignored on those volumes.
How do you resolve an issue where a Spotlight search doesn’t find the correct items?
Forcing a rebuild of the Spotlight index databases is a common technique to resolve search issues. You can force a rebuild by adding an item to the Spotlight preferences Privacy list, and then removing the item. This deletes the current index database and forces the system to build a new one.
