CHAPTER 2 Unix Structure
FIGURE 2.2 Unix File Structure
Each node is either a file or a directory of files, where the latter can contain other files and directories. You specify a file or directory by its path name, either the full, or absolute, path name or the one relative to a location. The full path name starts with the root, /, and follows the branches of the file system, each separated by /, until you reach the desired file, e.g.:
/home/condron/source/xntp
A relative path name specifies the path relative to another, usually the current working directory that you are at. Two special directory entries should be introduced now:
. the current directory
.. the parent of the current directory
So if I'm at /home/frank and wish to specify the path above in a relative fashion I could use:
../condron/source/xntp
This indicates that I should first go up one directory level, then come down through the condron directory, followed by the source directory and then to xntp.