Linux Mint Lost and Found folder?

[demarpaint]

Is it normal to have a Lost and Found folder in Linux Mint? Is that something that comes with the original installation and files get deposited there is there is a crash resulting in damaged/lost files? Or is the folder created after the event occurs and there are damaged files in it? I have the folder but no way to access it.

For the record it is a hidden folder in the File System and is visible only if I hit "ctl+h". Thanks

 

[JerryBob]

Yes, standard in all UNIX and Linux systems. Used in the fsck (file system check) process.

This is Ubuntu, the machine from which I post this.

/> $ ls -lrt
total 104
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 10 18:12 mnt
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 16 21:21 srv
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Apr 16 21:21 lib64
drwx------ 2 root root 16384 Jun 18 13:45 lost+found
drwxrwxr-x 2 root root 4096 Jun 18 13:50 cdrom
drwxr-xr-x 3 root root 4096 Jun 18 13:50 home

 

[TxHeat]

I had read about the lost+found folder in one of my Linux books but couldn't remember the details so I Googled it.

Here's a pretty good discussion/explanation.

 

[simple_gifts]

The lost+found directory (it is only a "folder" when looked @ with a GUI tool) is owned by root, so to access it you have to "sudo -s" to get admin access; then it is available to look @.

Much more important in the old days of unix/linux when the filesystems were not journaled. Filesystem integrity has gotten better with all OSes over the years.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
The lost+found directory (it is only a "folder" when looked @ with a GUI tool) is owned by root, so to access it you have to "sudo -s" to get admin access; then it is available to look @.

Much more important in the old days of unix/linux when the filesystems were not journaled. Filesystem integrity has gotten better with all OSes over the years.



I was under the impression that folder only appeared if there were lost or damaged files. In other words it gets created if/when a problem occurred? Otherwise it isn't there? I realize I could be wrong, I'm still learning.

From the terminal what would be the exact command to view the contents? Thanks.

 

[simple_gifts]

It is there all the time. You don't need to look in there. It isn't like stuff shows up there unless the filesystem has serious problems; you would know it if it did.

user@u1404:~$ sudo -s
[sudo] password for user:
root@u1404:~# cd /lost+found
root@u1404:/lost+found# ls -l (that is ell esss minus ell)
total 0
root@u1404:/lost+found#

 

[demarpaint]

^^ Thanks!^^

 

[javacontour]

It has to be the prior to problems.

Also notice, it's a larger folder that it's peers.

If you ever find anything in there, it will probably be of the form #123456

I know Sun/Oracle's UFS far more than the file systems Linux uses, but it's my understanding, from the outside looking it, they behave similarly. (Yes, I know that under the hood they are different, some with journaling, etc.)

This is probably more than you wanted to know.

Originally Posted By: demarpaint
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
The lost+found directory (it is only a "folder" when looked @ with a GUI tool) is owned by root, so to access it you have to "sudo -s" to get admin access; then it is available to look @.

Much more important in the old days of unix/linux when the filesystems were not journaled. Filesystem integrity has gotten better with all OSes over the years.



I was under the impression that folder only appeared if there were lost or damaged files. In other words it gets created if/when a problem occurred? Otherwise it isn't there? I realize I could be wrong, I'm still learning.

From the terminal what would be the exact command to view the contents? Thanks.

 

[demarpaint]

^^ Thanks^^