Linux File System

The Codio programming environment uses the Linux file system to store files and directories. So, let’s take a minute and discuss some features specific to the Linux file system.

Layout

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As we discussed earlier, the Linux file system begins with a single root node which has the path /. Below that root node, there are several directories which are typically present on each Linux system. The diagram above gives information about what could be found in each of those directories.

Home Directory

On Linux, each user is assigned a home directory where they can store all of their files. Those directories are typically stored in the /home directory. So, a user with the username codio could find their files in the /home/codio directory.

The Codio programming environment does indeed use the codio username by default. So, all of our files can be found in the /home/codio directory.

Workspace

In addition, Codio specifically uses a particular subdirectory of the home directory, named workspace, to store all of the files used by the Codio development environment. So, any files we see in the file tree on the left side of the window are actually stored in the /home/codio/workspace directory. When we open a terminal window in Codio, that is the directory we will be taken to by default.

Hidden Files

On Linux, any file or directory name that begins with a period . is hidden from view by default. So, we must be careful not to accidentally add a period to the beginning of any file or directory name, or else we may not be able to see it. On the next page, we’ll learn some handy terminal commands we can use to see those files.

Further Reading

• The Linux Filesystem Explained from Linux.com
• About Files and the File System from The Linux Documentation Project