In the computer world, "root" refers to the top-level directory of a file system. The word is derived from a root of the tree, as it represents the development of a hierarchical tree structure starting. The records of the tree represent the branches, while the actual files are considered the leaves. However, unlike a true tree of life, a tree data can be viewed upside down, with the root at the top and directories and subdirectories covering down.
The root node of a file system is also called the root directory. On a Windows PC, "C: \" is the root directory of the C drive on the Macintosh and Unix systems, the root directory is designated by a single slash ("/"). Similarly, the root directory of a website is simply the domain name followed by a slash (ie http: //www.techterms.com/). If you ever use a terminal program to view files and folders on a computer, you can use the command "cd /" (change directory to the root) to navigate to the root directory.
"Root" is also the name of the user who privleges administration on a Unix or Linux server. While most users can only access data within their own directory (eg "/ users / ~ fred /"), the root user can access a file on the hard disk. This allows the root user to install the updated system software, change the privileges of other users to access and perform other administrative tasks