| / |
Root folder |
The starting point of the file system.
Primary hierarchy. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /bin |
Binaries |
Location of basic executable binary files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /boot |
Boot |
Location of files required for system boot.
Bootloader (e.g. grub), kernel, initrd… |
✅ |
✅ |
| /dev |
Devices |
Hardware and other device access points. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /etc |
Et cetera (latin) → Everything to configure |
Location of system-wide configuration files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /etc/opt |
Optional |
Configurations of add-on packages. |
✅ |
|
| /etc/sgml |
Standard
Generalized
Markup
Language |
Configuration files, catalogs for SGML
processing software. |
✅ |
|
| /etc/X11 |
X
Window System
11.
version |
Configuration files for X Window System 11. |
✅ |
|
| /etc/xml |
Extensible
Markup
Language |
Configuration files, directories for XML processing software. |
✅ |
|
| /home |
Home |
Collection of users’ folders. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /lib |
Libraries |
Shared (program) libraries and kernel modules. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /lib32 |
Libraries |
Optionally 32-bit platform-dependent shared (program)libraries
and kernel modules. |
✅ |
|
| /lib64 |
Libraries |
Optionally 64-bit platform-dependent shared (program)libraries
and kernel modules. |
✅ |
|
| /lost+found |
Lost, Found |
Recovered files. ← fsck, e.g. ext4 file system |
❌ |
|
| /media |
Media |
Used to mount portable media
(e.g. pendrive, optical or floppy disk). |
✅ 2.3 (2004) |
✅ |
| /mnt |
Mount |
Used to temporarily mount file systems. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /opt |
Optional |
Add-on application software packages. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /proc |
Processes |
Running processes and kernel information in
a virtual file system. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /root |
Root ← Administrator |
Home folder of the system administrator (root) user. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /run |
Run |
Provides access to running processes. |
✅ 3.0 (2015) |
|
| /sbin |
Superuser's
(system’s)
binaries |
Location of basic system binaries. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /snap |
Snap |
Files belonging to the snap package manager. |
❌ |
|
| /srv |
Server |
Location of data related to services (server programs). |
✅ 2.3 (2004) |
✅ |
| /sys |
System |
Information about devices and the kernel.
In BSD, the kernel source. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /tmp |
Temporary |
Location of temporary files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /unix |
UNIX
– UNICS |
Kernel (System V, Research UNIX). |
❌ |
✅ |
| /usr |
User |
Secondary hierarchy. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/bin |
User /
Binaries |
Takes the place of /bin on many systems. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/include |
User /
Includes |
Typically C header files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/lib |
User /
Libraries |
Takes the place of /lib on many systems. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/lib32 |
User /
Libraries |
Replaces /lib32 on many systems. |
✅ |
|
| /usr/lib64 |
User /
Libraries |
Replaces /lib64 on many systems. |
✅ |
|
| /usr/libexec |
User /
Executable
libraries |
Executables used by other programs (or even standalone ones). |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/local |
User /
Local |
Tertiary hierarchy. Local hierarchy (e.g. bin, lib, man, etc…). |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/local/share |
User /
Local /
Share |
Shared local resources (wallpapers, icons, etc.). |
❌ |
✅ |
| /usr/sbin |
User /
Superuser's
binaries |
Replaces /sbin on many systems. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/share |
User /
Share |
Shared resources (wallpapers, icons, man pages, etc.). |
✅ |
✅ |
| /usr/src |
Sources |
Source code. |
✅ |
|
| /usr/X11R6 |
User /
X Window System
11. version
release
6. |
Files for X Window System 11 (R6). |
✅ 2.3 (2004) |
|
| /var |
Variable |
Variable data. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/cache |
Variable /
Cache |
Application cache data. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/lib |
Variable /
Libraries |
Status information. Persistent data modified during runtime. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/lock |
Variable /
Lock |
Resource lock files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/log |
Variable /
Log (logbook) |
Log files. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/mail |
Variable /
Mail |
Files from some email programs. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/opt |
Variable /
Optional |
Variable data from add-on packages. |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/run |
Variable /
Run |
Runtime variable data.
/run has taken over since FHS 3.0 (but the link is mandatory). |
✅ |
|
| /var/spool |
Variable /
Spool (~queue) |
Mail, print, or proxy data. (E.g. stuff that has a queue…) |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/spool/mail |
Variable /
Spool /
Mail |
Original location of /var/mail. Some programs may still use it. |
✅ |
|
| /var/src |
Variable /
Sources |
Uncompiled sources of some programs. |
❌ |
✅ |
| /var/tmp |
Variable /
Temporary |
Temporary files (e.g. between system boots). |
✅ |
✅ |
| /var/www |
Variable /
World
Wide
Web |
HTTP server document folder. |
❌ |
|
| /vmunix |
Virtual
Memory +
UNIX
– UNICS |
UNIX virtual memory (3BSD). |
❌ |
✅ |