Explain what happens when you run ls

On Linux, explain the complete end-to-end flow of what happens when a user types ls at a shell prompt and presses Enter. Include:

• The shell's actions
• How the executable is found and launched
• Important system calls and kernel filesystem interactions
• How directory entries and file metadata are read
• What changes for common flags such as -l, -a, and -R

Overview: This question assesses a candidate's knowledge of how processes are created and executed, how the shell resolves commands, how the kernel interacts with the VFS filesystem layer, and how directory entries and file metadata are retrieved; category/domain: Software Engineering Fundamentals.