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What is Inode?

A data structure in Unix filesystems that stores metadata about a file, excluding its name and data.

An inode contains information about a file including its size, ownership, permissions, timestamps, and pointers to the data blocks. Each file has a unique inode number within its filesystem.

The inode does not store the filename — that mapping is maintained in directory entries. This is why hard links work: multiple directory entries can point to the same inode.

Related Terms

RAID
Redundant Array of Independent Disks — a technology combining multiple physical drives into a single unit for performance, redundancy, or both.
File Permissions
A security mechanism that controls who can read, write, or execute files and directories in Unix-like systems.
Mount Point
A directory in the filesystem where a storage device or partition is attached and made accessible.
Netstat
A command-line tool that displays network connections, routing tables, and interface statistics on a system.
Shell
A command-line interface that interprets user commands and passes them to the operating system for execution.
Sysfs (/sys)
A virtual filesystem that exports information about kernel subsystems, hardware devices, and device drivers in a structured hierarchy.
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