Linux file system

Directory Description

/

 Primary hierarchy root and root directory of the entire file system hierarchy.

/bin/

Essential command binaries that need to be available in single user mode; for all users, e.g., ls, cp.

/boot/

 Boot loader files, e.g., kernels, initrd; often a separate partition.

/dev/

Essential devices, e.g., /dev/null.

/etc/

 Host-specific system-wide configuration files.There has been controversy over the meaning of the name itself. In early versions of the UNIX Implementation Document from Bell labs, /etc is referred to as the etcetera directory, as this directory historically held everything that did not belong elsewhere (however, the FHS restricts /etc to static configuration files and may not contain binaries). Since the publication of early documentation, the directory name has been re-designated in various ways. Recent interpretations include Backronyms such as "Editable Text Configuration" or "Extended Tool Chest".

 /etc/opt/

Configuration files for /opt/.

/etc/X11/

Configuration files for the X Window System, version 11.

/etc/sgml/

Configuration files for SGML.

/etc/xml/

 Configuration files for XML.

/home/

 Users' home directories, containing saved files, personal settings, etc.; often a separate partition.

/lib/

Libraries essential for the binaries in /bin/ and /sbin/.

/media/

 Mount points for removable media such as CD-ROMs.

/mnt/

 Temporarily mounted filesystems.

/opt/

Optional application software packages.

/proc/

 Virtual filesystem documenting kernel and process status as text files, e.g., uptime, network. In Linux, corresponds to a Procfs mount.

/root/

 Home directory for the root user.

/sbin/

 Essential system binaries, e.g., init, ip, mount.

/srv/

Site-specific data which is served by the system.

/tmp/

 Temporary files (see also /var/tmp). Often not preserved between system reboots.

/usr/

 Secondary hierarchy for read-only user data; contains the majority of (multi-)user utilities and applications.

/usr/bin/

Non-essential command binaries (not needed in single user mode); for all users.

/usr/include/

 Standard include files.

/usr/lib/

 Libraries for the binaries in /usr/bin/ and /usr/sbin/.

/usr/sbin/

Non-essential system binaries, e.g., daemons for various network-services.

/usr/share/

 Architecture-independent (shared) data.

/usr/src/

Source code, e.g., the kernel source code with its header files.

/usr/X11R6/

 X Window System, Version 11, Release 6.

/usr/local/

Tertiary hierarchy for local data, specific to this host. Typically has further subdirectories, e.g., bin/, lib/, share/

/var/

Variable files—files whose content is expected to continually change during normal operation of the system—such as logs, spool files, and temporary e-mail files. Sometimes a separate partition.

/var/cache/

 Application cache data. Such data is locally generated as a result of time-consuming I/O or calculation. The application must be able to regenerate or restore the data. The cached files can be deleted without data loss

/var/lib/

 State information. Persistent data modified by programs as they run, e.g., databases, packaging system metadata, etc.

/var/lock/

Lock files. Files keeping track of resources currently in use.

/var/log/

Log files. Various logs.

/var/mail/

Users' mailboxes.

/var/run/

Information about the running system since last boot, e.g., currently logged-in users and running daemons.

/var/spool/

Spool for tasks waiting to be processed, e.g., print queues and unread mail.

/var/spool/mail/

 Deprecated location for users' mailboxes.

/var/tmp/ Temporary files to be preserved between reboots.