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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 modules.local/" -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;
57 local loadable kernel modules and wrapped external firmware images; see
61 files related to compatibility layers
63 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ndis/" -compact
70 block and character device files
72 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa fd/" -compact
74 file descriptor files;
79 system configuration files and scripts
81 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bluetooth/" -compact
83 bluetooth configuration files
85 default system configuration files;
96 local timezone information;
100 Sendmail control files
102 mtree configuration files;
106 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
109 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
114 ppp configuration files;
118 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
122 OpenSSH configuration files;
126 OpenSSL configuration files
128 Files relevant to system upgrades
130 uucp configuration files;
135 HOME directories of non-root users
137 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
142 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
147 empty directory commonly used by
148 system administrators as a temporary mount point
150 automounted NFS shares;
154 pseudo file system directory (on
163 root's HOME directory
165 system programs and administration utilities
166 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
168 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
171 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
173 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
175 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
177 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
182 collection (optional).
184 useful and semi-frivolous programs
186 standard C include files
188 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa protocols/" -compact
190 C include files for Internet service protocols
194 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
196 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scsi/" -compact
198 The SCSI device on top of CAM
202 C include files for programming various
206 Include Files for various emulation layers
209 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa smbfs/" -compact
216 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa cd9660/" -compact
222 C include files for libprop
224 machine-specific C include files
228 misc network C include files
230 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
234 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
238 kernel key-management service
242 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
244 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
246 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
252 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
254 get a line from a user, with editing;
258 remote procedure calls;
262 definition of RPC service structures; see
268 system C include files (kernel data structures)
270 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
272 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
292 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa engines/" -compact
294 a.out archive libraries
296 OpenSSL dynamic engines
300 misc. utility data files
302 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
304 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils224/" -compact
307 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
316 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
324 utilities and filters for LP print system;
328 restricted shell for sendmail;
338 local executables, libraries, etc.
339 Also used as the default destination for the
345 the general layout sketched out by
356 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
359 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
365 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
369 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
371 architecture-independent files
373 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
375 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
383 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
385 words from Webster's 2nd International
395 miscellaneous documentation
397 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
399 License files for vendor supplied firmware
403 various examples for users and programmers
405 ASCII text files used by various games
407 device description file for device name
409 internationalization databases; see
412 GNU Info hypertext system
414 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
422 macros for use with the me macro package;
426 misc system-wide ASCII text files
428 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
430 terminal characteristics database;
440 national language support files;
445 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
451 sendmail configuration files;
455 example . (dot) files for new accounts
460 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
468 console keyboard maps;
478 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
487 text processing macros;
493 localization support and utilities for
496 timezone configuration information;
503 third-party, and/or local source files
505 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
507 source code for files in
510 source code for contributed software
512 source code for contributed cryptography software
514 source code for files in
517 source code for files in
520 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
522 source code for files in
525 source code for files in
528 source code for files in
531 files required to produce a
535 source code for files in
538 build directory for files in
546 tools used for maintenance and testing of
549 source code for files in
552 source code for files in
557 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
559 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
561 system accounting files
563 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
565 execution accounting file;
571 timed command scheduling files;
575 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
577 directory containing job files
579 directory containing output spool files
585 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
594 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
602 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
604 empty directory used by
606 for privilege separation
608 misc. game status and score files
610 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
614 misc. system log files
616 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
626 system messages database;
630 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
635 filesystem quota information files
637 system information files describing various info about
638 system since it was booted
640 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
644 group for command connection sockets; see
647 database of current users;
651 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
664 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
666 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
668 undelivered submission mail queue;
672 undelivered mail queue;
678 the anonymous ftp root directory
680 undelivered mail queue;
684 line printer spooling directories
690 public uucp temporary directory
694 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
696 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
698 the directory where recovery files are stored
706 This manual page documents the default
708 filesystem layout, but
709 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
710 administrator's discretion.
711 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
726 manual page appeared in