Why do we need inode?
Inodes store information about files and directories (folders), such as file ownership, access mode (read, write, execute permissions), and file type. On many older file system implementations, the maximum number of inodes is fixed at file system creation, limiting the maximum number of files the file system can hold.
Why does Linux use inodes?
An inode is a data structure that stores various information about a file in Linux, such as the access mode (read, write, execute permissions), ownership, file type, file size, group, number of links, etc. Some file systems (most notably ext3) create all inodes when the file system is created.
Where are inodes stored in a file system?
An inode is a data structure. It defines a file or a directory on the file system and is stored in the directory entry. Inodes point to blocks that make up a file. The inode contains all the administrative data needed to read a file.
How are directories and inodes used in Linux?
Directories are simply tables that contain the names of the files with the matching inode number. You can create a hard link resulting in more than one name for the same file. When you create a hard link, it also creates a new name in the table with the inode but doesn’t move the file. If you were to move a large file, it would take a long time.
How is an inode used in a process?
A process can use a library file at the same time another process replaces the same file with a newer updated version and creates a new inode. The running process keeps using the old file. The next time you use the same process, it will use the new version.
Is it possible to have conflicting inodes in Linux?
The way inodes work in Linux make it impossible to have conflicting inode numbers. It is not possible to create a hard link across different file systems. However, you can use soft links across different file systems. You can delete the original files and still have the data available through a hard link.