Lesson 16—Use Metadata, Siri, and Spotlight Flashcards
What is file system metadata? What are some examples?
Metadata is information stored outside a file or folder that provides additional information about the file
or folder. Examples include file flags, extended file attributes, and permissions.
What are some of the common file flags macOS Big Sur uses?
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 you use to quickly assign keywords, or “tags,” to any item. A
user can customize the tag names and colors and can create multiple tags for a single file.
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 almost instantly. You can find file system tags in the Finder sidebar,
Spotlight search, and any Open or Save document dialogs.
Where does Spotlight store its metadata index databases and its plug-ins?
Spotlight metadata index databases are stored at the root of every volume you can write to in
a /.Spotlight-V100 folder. For your startup volume, the folder is /private/var/db/Spotlight-V100. And the
Mail app maintains its own database in each user’s home folder at ~/Library/Mail/V8/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 Spotlight?
Although Spotlight indexes file and folder permissions, other users can search the contents of locally
attached nonsystem volumes when ownership is ignored on those volumes.
How should you resolve an issue where a Spotlight search doesn’t find the correct items?
If you experience issues with local file searching, you can force Spotlight to rebuild the index databases
by managing the Spotlight preferences.
How can you ensure that Siri doesn’t send audio recordings to Apple?
You can prevent Siri from sending audio to Apple by disabling Siri in Siri preferences.
