VFS (Virtual File System)

a component of the kernel

  • handles all system calls related to files and file systems
  • serves as an interface between a user and a particular file system
    • In other words, it abstracts away the specific filesystem implementation and let's us access it on a command line.
    • it accomplishes this by specifying an interface (a contract) between the kernel and the underlying FS
  • we interact with the underlying FS by using the API provided by the VFS.
  • this abstraction allows us to bridge the differences between Windows filesystems, Mac filesystems, and Unix filesystems
  • when an external device attached to the system (such as a USB stick), Unix can run the mount command, which will create a new directory on the VFS.

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