Pathnames that begin with a dot
QNX SDP8.0User's GuideUser
When you list the contents of a directory, the ls utility usually hides files and directories whose names begin with a period. Programs precede configuration files and directories with a period to hide them from view. The files (not surprisingly) are called hidden files.
Other than the special treatment by ls and some other programs, nothing else is special about hidden files. Use ls -a to list all files, including any hidden ones.
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