13.3 Linux File Types

As with most file systems, Linux supports a variety of file types, as described in the following table:

File Type

First Character in File Listing

Description

Regular file

-

Normal files such as text, data, or executable files

Directory

d

Files that are lists of other files

Link

l

A shortcut that points to the location of the actual file

Special file

c

Mechanism used for input and output, such as files in /dev

Socket

s

A special file that provides inter-process networking protected by the file system’s access control

Pipe

p

A special file that allows processes to communicate with each other without using network socket semantics