Ubuntu® Linux® Secrets

Chapter 5. File Management

Secrets in This Chapter

• The Linux Filesystem

• Using Nautilus

• Handling Files

• File Properties

If you've never used Linux before, trying to understand and manage the file structure can be a bit of a challenge. The Ubuntu workstation includes some tools to help with handling files, which makes life easier for novices and advanced users alike. The first part of this chapter discusses how Ubuntu handles hard drives and files so that you can figure out where your files and folders are. The second part of the chapter walks through Nautilus, the graphical file management tool provided in Ubuntu. The Nautilus application helps you navigate through the complicated Ubuntu filesystem and makes working with your files and folders much easier.

The Linux Filesystem

If you're new to the Linux system, you may be confused by how it references files and directories, especially if you're used to the way the Microsoft Windows operating system does that. Before exploring the Linux system, it helps to have an understanding of how it's laid out.

Filepaths

The first difference you'll notice is that Linux does not use drive letters in pathnames. In the Windows world, the physical drives installed on the PC determine the pathname of the file. Windows assigns a letter to each physical disk drive, and each drive contains its own directory structure for accessing files stored on it.

For example, in Windows you may be used to seeing filepaths such as C:\Documents and Settings\Rich\My Documents\test.doc ...