What Does Everything Is a File Mean in Linux?

The “Everything is a file” phrase defines the architecture of the operating system. It means that everything in the system from processes, files, directories, sockets, pipes, … is represented by a file descriptor abstracted over the virtual filesystem layer in the kernel.

What does it mean everything in Linux is a file?

Everything is a file describes one of the defining features of Unix, and its derivatives—that a wide range of input/output resources such as documents, directories, hard-drives, modems, keyboards, printers and even some inter-process and network communications are simple streams of bytes exposed through the filesystem …

What isn’t a file in Linux?

Many things on Linux appear in your file system, but they aren’t actually files. They’re special files that represent hardware devices, system information, and other things — including a random number generator.