file system
     n : a system of classifying into files (usually arranged
         alphabetically) [syn: filing system]

	

	file system
     
         (FS, or "filesystem") 1. A system for
        organizing directories and files, generally in terms of
        how it is implemented in the disk operating system.  E.g.,
        "The Macintosh file system is just dandy as long as you
        don't have to interface it with any other file systems".
     
        2. The collection of files and directories stored on a given
        drive (floppy drive, hard drive, disk partition, logical
        drive, RAM drive, etc.).  E.g., "mount attaches a named file
        system to the file system hierarchy at the pathname location
        directory [...]" -- Unix manual page for "mount(8)".
     
        As an extension of this sense, "file system" is sometimes used
        to refer to the representatation of the file system's
        organisation (e.g. its file allocation table) as opposed the
        actual content of the files in the file system.
     
        Unix manual page: fs(5), mount(8).
     
        (1997-04-10)