ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Tmpfs

Okay kiddo, imagine you have a toy box which can hold 10 toys. But one day, you got 12 toys and you don't have anywhere to keep them. So, you decide to take some toys out of the box and put them on the floor.

Now, tmpfs is just like your toy box. It is a special place on your computer where you can keep things temporarily. They don't stay there forever, just until you turn off your computer.

The difference with tmpfs is that it uses the computer's memory (RAM) instead of a physical hard drive. RAM is like a temporary place where your computer stores information that it needs to do things.

So, when you put something in tmpfs, your computer takes some space from its memory and uses it to store the thing you put in tmpfs. Just like you take toys out of your toy box and put them on the floor.

But, just like your toy box, there's only so much space in tmpfs. If you put too many things in there, it will fill up and your computer won't be able to do other things. Just like if you put too many toys in your toy box, you won't be able to close it properly.

So, remember to be mindful of what you put in tmpfs and only use it for things that you need temporarily.