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28 .\" @(#)hier.7 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/5/93
29 .\" $FreeBSD: src/share/man/man7/hier.7,v 1.29.2.17 2003/01/13 21:43:50 ceri Exp $
36 .Nd layout of filesystems
38 A sketch of the filesystem hierarchy.
39 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa /modules/"
41 root directory of the filesystem
43 user utilities fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
45 programs and configuration files used during operating system bootstrap
47 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa defaults/" -compact
49 default bootstrapping configuration files; see
52 pure kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory
53 at boot time) and loadable kernel modules;
58 files related to compatibility layers
60 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ndis/" -compact
67 block and character device files
69 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa fd/" -compact
71 file descriptor files;
76 system configuration files and scripts
78 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bluetooth/" -compact
80 bluetooth configuration files
82 default system configuration files;
89 local timezone information;
93 Sendmail control files
95 mtree configuration files;
99 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
102 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
107 ppp configuration files;
111 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
115 OpenSSH configuration files;
119 OpenSSL configuration files
121 Files relevant to system upgrades
123 uucp configuration files;
128 HOME directories of non-root users
130 empty directory commonly used by
131 system administrators as a temporary mount point
133 pseudo file system directory (on
142 root's HOME directory
144 system programs and administration utilities
145 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
147 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
150 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
152 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
154 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
156 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
161 collection (optional).
163 useful and semi-frivolous programs
165 standard C include files
167 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa protocols/" -compact
169 C include files for Internet service protocols
173 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
175 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scsi/" -compact
177 The SCSI device on top of CAM
181 C include files for programming various
185 Include Files for various emulation layers
188 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa smbfs/" -compact
195 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa cd9660/" -compact
201 C include files for libprop
203 machine-specific C include files
207 misc network C include files
209 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
213 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
217 kernel key-management service
221 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
223 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
225 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
231 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
233 get a line from a user, with editing;
237 remote procedure calls;
241 definition of RPC service structures; see
247 system C include files (kernel data structures)
249 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
251 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
271 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa compat/" -compact
273 a.out archive libraries
275 shared libraries for compatibility
277 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa aout/" -compact
279 a.out backward compatibility libraries
282 OpenSSL dynamic engines
286 misc. utility data files
288 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
290 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils224/" -compact
293 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
302 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
310 utilities and filters for LP print system;
320 restricted shell for sendmail;
330 local executables, libraries, etc.
331 Also used as the default destination for the
337 the general layout sketched out by
348 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
351 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
357 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
361 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
363 architecture-independent files
365 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
367 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
375 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
377 words from Webster's 2nd International
387 miscellaneous documentation
389 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
391 License files for vendor supplied firmware
395 various examples for users and programmers
397 ASCII text files used by various games
399 device description file for device name
401 internationalization databases; see
404 GNU Info hypertext system
406 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
414 macros for use with the me macro package;
418 misc system-wide ASCII text files
420 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
422 terminal characteristics database;
432 national language support files;
437 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
443 sendmail configuration files;
447 example . (dot) files for new accounts
452 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
460 console keyboard maps;
470 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
479 text processing macros;
485 localization support and utilities for
488 timezone configuration information;
495 third-party, and/or local source files
497 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
499 source code for files in
502 source code for contributed software
504 source code for contributed cryptography software
506 source code for files in
509 source code for files in
512 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
514 source code for files in
517 source code for files in
520 source code for files in
523 files required to produce a
527 source code for files in
530 build directory for files in
538 tools used for maintenance and testing of
541 source code for files in
544 source code for files in
549 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
551 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
553 system accounting files
555 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
557 execution accounting file;
563 timed command scheduling files;
567 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
569 directory containing job files
571 directory containing output spool files
577 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
586 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
594 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
596 empty directory used by
598 for privilege separation
600 misc. game status and score files
602 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
606 misc. system log files
608 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
618 system messages database;
622 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
627 filesystem quota information files
629 system information files describing various info about
630 system since it was booted
632 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
636 group for command connection sockets; see
639 database of current users;
643 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
656 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
658 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
660 undelivered submission mail queue;
664 undelivered mail queue;
670 the anonymous ftp root directory
672 undelivered mail queue;
676 line printer spooling directories
682 public uucp temporary directory
686 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
688 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
690 the directory where recovery files are stored
698 This manual page documents the default
700 filesystem layout, but
701 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
702 administrator's discretion.
703 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
718 manual page appeared in