Stencel AcademyHow Linux Works →
Part 1 · Lesson 4 · Beginner

Names vs Things — inodes & links

A filename is a label, not the file.

In this interactive Linux lesson from Stencel Academy you don't just read — you type real commands like ls -i notes.txt, ln notes.txt backup.txt, ln -s notes.txt latest.txt and watch the machine respond on a live, animated map. It is part of the free How Linux Works course.

Key takeaway: Names point to inodes; the inode owns the data. Links are extra pointers.

Before this lesson

Builds on: Permissions — the gate.

What you'll practise

Terms you'll learn

inodehard linksymlinklnls -i

Check your understanding

What actually owns a file's data?
Open the interactive lesson →