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Does the HFS+ file system reuse inode numbers after entries are fully deleted? I am trying to determine if the inode number always grows or if the numbers are reused.

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  • I would think so but it might be that they aren't reused until the entire number space has been assigned and then the ones that are free are used.
    – Dan D.
    Jan 16, 2014 at 13:22
  • @DanD. Any sources I can reference to verify this?
    – BobaFett
    Jan 16, 2014 at 13:32

1 Answer 1

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See the "Catalog File" section in Apple's Technical Note TN1150: HFS Plus Volume Format for more info.

HFS+ doens't have "inodes" exactly. It uses the "Catalog File" system. A CatalogNodeID (CNID) Folder ID or File ID gets reported as the inode number in unix tools. CNIDs are allocated sequentially and can wrap around for reuse, by incrementally finding the first free CNID value.

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