When a file is created where does unix store the info?

UNIX for Advanced & Expert Users
1

When a file is created where does unix store the information about the file?

2

I was told to run a cron job every 2 minutes and once it found the file I could have it transfer it. It seems like overkill to have a process running every 2 minutes looking for a file that may be added only once a day.

Thanks to all who answered

3

How would it help you to know where the information is stored?

You still would have to check there every 2 minutes to see if the information you expect is present.

Anyway information about files is stored in inodes. Inodes are stored in inode tables etc etc. You end up with the superblock

4

Is this a Linux box?

5

you are going about this the wrong way..

dont run a job every 2 minutes.. run one script that waits for the file...

Something like this:

TOTALTIME=0
CANCELTIME= 28800 #1 day almost

cd /whatever/location/file/is
while true
do
        if [ -f whateverfile.file ]
        then
                echo whateverfile.file file found! 
                #INSERT WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO WITH IT HERE!!!
                break
        else
                date
                echo whateverfile.file Does Not Exist Yet. Sleeping 120 seconds until whateverfile.file Found.
                sleep 120
                TOTALTIME=`expr $TOTALTIME + $SLEEPTIME`
                if [ "$TOTALTIME" -gt "$CANCELTIME" ]
                then
                        echo The file has not been found in the set amount of time.
                        echo Program Canceling.
                        echo TOTALTIME equals $TOTALTIME
                        echo QUITING
                        exit
                else
                        echo .
                fi
        fi
done

That will run all day long and check for the file every two minutes
if it finds it, set it to do whatever you want, if it doesnt find it, it kills the script. Run this every morning via cron.

6

from all your other threads i gather you got a job working with Unix and you are pretty new to it?

is that the case? just curious