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32 .\" @(#)hier.7 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/5/93
33 .\" $FreeBSD: src/share/man/man7/hier.7,v 1.29.2.17 2003/01/13 21:43:50 ceri Exp $
35 .Dd September 11, 2012
40 .Nd layout of filesystems
42 A sketch of the filesystem hierarchy.
43 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa /modules/"
45 root directory of the filesystem
47 user utilities fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
49 programs and configuration files used during operating system bootstrap
51 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa defaults/" -compact
53 default bootstrapping configuration files; see
56 pure kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory
59 loadable kernel modules;
64 block and character device files
66 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa fd/" -compact
68 file descriptor files;
73 system configuration files and scripts
75 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bluetooth/" -compact
77 bluetooth configuration files
79 default system configuration files;
86 .\"Firmware image files;
90 local timezone information;
94 Sendmail control files
96 mtree configuration files;
100 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
103 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
108 ppp configuration files;
112 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
116 OpenSSH configuration files;
120 OpenSSL configuration files
122 Files relevant to system upgrades
124 uucp configuration files;
129 HOME directories of non-root users
131 empty directory commonly used by
132 system administrators as a temporary mount point
134 pseudo file system directory (on
143 root's HOME directory
145 system programs and administration utilities
146 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
148 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
151 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
153 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
155 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
157 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
159 useful and semi-frivolous programs
161 standard C include files
163 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libmilter/" -compact
165 C include files for Internet service protocols
169 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
171 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scsi/" -compact
173 The SCSI device on top of CAM
177 C include files for programming various
181 Include Files for various emulation layers
184 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa smbfs/" -compact
191 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa cd9660/" -compact
197 C include files for libmilter,
198 the sendmail mail filter API
200 C include files for libprop
202 machine-specific C include files
206 misc network C include files
212 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
216 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
220 IPX/SPX protocol stacks
222 kernel key-management service
230 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
232 Objective C include files
234 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
236 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
242 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
244 get a line from a user, with editing;
248 remote procedure calls;
252 definition of RPC service structures; see
258 system C include files (kernel data structures)
260 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
262 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
282 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa compat/" -compact
284 a.out archive libraries
286 shared libraries for compatibility
288 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa aout/" -compact
290 a.out backward compatibility libraries
293 OpenSSL dynamic engines
297 misc. utility data files
299 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa stallion/" -compact
301 various prebuilt lint libraries;
305 holds the download firmware images
309 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
311 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils221/" -compact
314 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
323 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
331 utilities and filters for LP print system;
341 restricted shell for sendmail;
351 local executables, libraries, etc.
354 the general layout sketched out by
361 directory (directly under
366 .Pa share/doc/<app>/ ) ,
372 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
376 default destination directory for the
381 the general layout sketched out by
388 directory (directly under
393 .Pa share/doc/<pkg>/ ) ,
401 collection (optional).
403 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
405 architecture-independent files
407 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
409 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
417 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
419 words from Webster's 2nd International
429 miscellaneous documentation
430 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
432 License files for vendor supplied firmwares
436 various examples for users and programmers
438 ASCII text files used by various games
440 device description file for device name
442 internationalization databases; see
445 GNU Info hypertext system
447 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
455 macros for use with the me macro package;
459 misc system-wide ASCII text files
461 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
463 terminal characteristics database;
473 national language support files;
478 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
484 sendmail configuration files;
488 example . (dot) files for new accounts
493 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
501 console keyboard maps;
511 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
520 text processing macros;
526 localization support and utilities for
529 timezone configuration information;
536 third-party, and/or local source files
538 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
540 source code for files in
543 source code for contributed software
545 source code for contributed cryptography software
547 source code for files in
550 source code for files in
553 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
555 source code for files in
558 source code for files in
561 source code for files in
564 files required to produce a
568 source code for files in
571 build directory for files in
579 tools used for maintenance and testing of
582 source code for files in
585 source code for files in
590 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
592 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
594 system accounting files
596 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
598 execution accounting file;
604 timed command scheduling files;
608 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
610 directory containing job files
612 directory containing output spool files
618 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
627 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
635 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
637 empty directory used by
639 for privilege separation
641 misc. game status and score files
643 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
647 misc. system log files
649 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
659 system messages database;
663 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
668 filesystem quota information files
670 system information files describing various info about
671 system since it was booted
673 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
677 group for command connection sockets; see
680 database of current users;
693 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
695 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
697 undelivered submission mail queue;
701 undelivered mail queue;
707 the anonymous ftp root directory
709 undelivered mail queue;
713 line printer spooling directories
719 public uucp temporary directory
723 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
725 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
727 the directory where recovery files are stored
735 This manual page documents the default
737 filesystem layout, but
738 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
739 administrator's discretion.
740 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
755 manual page appeared in