Topic 102: Linux Installation and Package Management Flashcards
What is the root (“/”) filesystem?
The root filesystem is the top-level directory of the filesystem. It must contain all of the files required to boot the Linux system before other filesystems are mounted. It must include all of the required executables and libraries required to boot the remaining filesystems. After the system is booted, all other filesystems are mounted on standard, well-defined mount points as subdirectories of the root filesystem.
What is the role of the /var filesystem? What does “var”stand for?
Variable data files are stored here. This can include things like log files, database files, web server data files, email inboxes, and much more.
What’s the purpose of the /home filesystem?
Provides home directory storage for user files. Each user has a subdirectory in /home.
What’s the purpose of the /boot filesystem?
Contains the static bootloader, kernel executable, and configuration files required to boot the Linux OS.
What is swap space?
Swap space in Linux is used when the amount of physical memory (RAM) is full. If the system needs more memory resources and the RAM is full, inactive pages in memory are moved to the swap space. While swap space can help machines with a small amount of RAM, it should not be considered a replacement for more RAM.
What is an EFI System Partition (ESP)?
The EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) system partition, or ESP, is a partition on a data storage device (usually a hard disk drive or solid-state drive) that is used by computers adhering to the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI). When a computer is booted, UEFI firmware loads files stored on the ESP to start installed operating systems and various utilities.
What is a mount point?
A mount point is a directory (typically an empty one) in the currently accessible filesystem on which an additional filesystem is mounted (i.e., logically attached).
The mount point becomes the root directory of the newly added filesystem, and that filesystem becomes accessible from that directory. Any original contents of that directory become invisible and inaccessible until the filesystem is unmounted (i.e., detached from the main filesystem).
The default mount points for a system are the directories in which filesystems will be automatically mounted unless told by the user to do otherwise. They are listed in /etc/fstab, which is a plain text configuration file that contains information about the major filesystems on a computer. The first column in /etc/fstab shows the device (i.e., the partition or disk), and the second column shows its default mount point. The contents of /etc/fstab can easily, and safely, be viewed with a command such as cat as follows:
cat /etc/fstab
