Inodes are data structures used in filesystems to store important information about files. Each file on a system uses one inode, which contains metadata such as:
- File permissions
- Ownership (user and group)
- File size
- Timestamps (creation, modification, and access times)
- Location of the file data on the disk
Inodes help the filesystem manage files efficiently. It's important to monitor inode usage because running out of inodes can prevent the creation of new files, even if there is available disk space.
