How many questions are in this quiz?

This quiz has 112 questions covering inodes, paths, and permissions across mixed difficulty.

What format are the questions in?

Every question is multiple-choice with 4 options, and there is no timer.

Can I choose the number of questions and the difficulty?

Yes. You can select your preferred question count and difficulty before you start.

What topics are included besides basic rwx permissions?

Expect inode vs filename, hard links vs symlinks, directory traversal rules, ownership, umask, and common edge cases.

What’s a common mistake this quiz helps prevent?

A big one is forgetting that directory execute permission controls traversal, even when the file itself looks readable.

File systems: inodes, paths Quiz

About this quiz

What you’ll practice

This quiz focuses on how file systems represent files (inodes), how paths resolve through directories, and how permissions are evaluated for users, groups, and others.

Each question uses a 4-option multiple-choice format with no timer, so you can reason through edge cases like execute-on-directory, symlinks, and umask effects.

Common pitfalls to watch for

Many learners mix up “file name” vs “inode,” assume permissions are checked on the file when traversal actually depends on directory bits, or forget that the effective UID/GID and supplementary groups affect access.

Another frequent trap is misreading symbolic vs numeric modes (e.g., 0644 vs 644), or overlooking how relative paths depend on the current working directory.

Difficulty and how to use the settings

Difficulty is balanced across fundamentals and real-world gotchas: you’ll see quick wins (basic rwx) alongside deeper items (link counts, path resolution order, and special bits).

You can choose your question count and difficulty before starting—short sessions for review, or longer runs to build consistency across all 112 questions.

Interpret inode concepts: hard links, link counts, and directory entries
Resolve absolute vs relative paths, including ., .., and nested traversal
Evaluate permissions with user/group/other, execute-on-directory, and umask
Spot differences between symlinks and hard links and their permission implications
Avoid common errors with octal notation, special bits, and ownership changes