Extended file attributesExtended file attributes are features that enable users to associate s with metadata not interpreted by the filesystem, whereas regular attributes have a purpose strictly defined by the filesystem (such as or records of creation and modification times). Unlike , which can usually be as large as the maximum file size, extended attributes are usually limited in size to a value significantly smaller than the maximum file size.
File attributeFile attributes are a type of meta-data that describe and may modify how and/or in a behave. Typical file attributes may, for example, indicate or specify whether a file is visible, modifiable, compressed, or encrypted. The availability of most file attributes depends on support by the underlying filesystem (such as , NTFS, ext4) where attribute data must be stored along with other control structures. Each attribute can have one of two states: set and cleared. Attributes are considered distinct from other metadata, such as dates and times, s or .
