Linux/Unix naming conventions...

[Derek Atkins]

Naming conventions in Unix are done mostly for people's sake, not for
the computer's sake (except for a few notable exceptions).  Generally,
the OS (or applications) will check the contents of a file or the mode
bits on a file to determine what kind of file it is and what you can
do with it.

Some applications try to use filename extensions to help itself
differentiate their own files from other files.  But generally this
is also done for application or user convenience, not because the OS
is enforcing it.  You can name a file whatever you want, and generally
you can still operate on that file however you want.

Newer GUI interfaces, in particular, may be more finicky about how
files are named.  OTOH, a better way to figure out what a kind of data
is in a file is to run the "file" command. :)

-derek

"Kevin M. Gleason" <kgleason at ma.ultranet.com> writes:

> 
> Are there any naming conventions in the Linux/Unix world? DOS was easy,
> 8.3 (1-8 chars DOT 3 character extension) but Linux? What, if any, are
> the restrictions in regard to MIME extensions?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Kevin M. Gleason
> 
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-- 
       Derek Atkins, SB '93 MIT EE, SM '95 MIT Media Laboratory
       Member, MIT Student Information Processing Board  (SIPB)
       URL: http://web.mit.edu/warlord/      PP-ASEL      N1NWH
       warlord at MIT.EDU                        PGP key available
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