Question

1. Compare the Unix directory and the windows directory and answer the following:

a. Match 3 Unix directories to a Windows directory that is similar in function. Briefly describe their similarities and differences.

b. Find a directory in Unix that appears to have no equivalent in Windows. What does it do?

c. Find a directory in Windows that appears to have no equivalent in Unix. What does it do?

Answer 1

• UNIX directory or the UNIX filesystem is a one rooted tree of directories that holds data into them in the form of files and folders. On the top of all the directories, we have the root directory that is identified with "/" and "usr","home","bin" etc are the subdirectories of the root directory.

• The main thing to note is that it follows the tree structure where if you have the permission of root then you have the entire root permission and can do anything to your file system in terms of modifying it's data and changing it's directories structure but not the reserved ones.

• While on the other hand, we have Windows directory that too follows the hierarchical or tree structure in managing their files or information. It has the similar functionality of storing data but few changes in terms of lack of security as compared to Windows.

a) Directories that have similar functionality in UNIX and Windows:

1. home:
   1. In Linux or UNIX, the home directory is the place where all the personal information such as Documents, Media etc are stored and it's a part of the root directory.
   2. In the Windows, the home directory is known as user directory and does the same thing for storing personal information.
2. Desktop:
   1. In Linux or UNIX, the Desktop directory is a part of your home directory that comes after it, all the data placed on the screen when you login into your computer is stored in this directory.
   2. Same as Linux, the information that you when you boot into WIndows is stored in the Desktop directory.
3. bin:
   1. In Linux or UNIX, the bin directory is a part of your main root directory that contains all the executable apps that are ready to run.
   2. In Windows, the bin is known as \Windows\System32 that holds the same information but in a different directory.

b) In UNIX, we have /proc directory that is missing in the Windows File System.

1. It deals with the processes and showing them as files.

c) In Windows, we have /WinSxS as directory that is missing in the UNIX

1. Copy of all Windows components, as well as all Windows updates and service packs is stored in this folder.