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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 libmilter/" -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 libmilter,
202 the sendmail mail filter API
204 C include files for libprop
206 machine-specific C include files
210 misc network C include files
212 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
216 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
220 kernel key-management service
224 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
226 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
228 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
234 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
236 get a line from a user, with editing;
240 remote procedure calls;
244 definition of RPC service structures; see
250 system C include files (kernel data structures)
252 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
254 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
274 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa compat/" -compact
276 a.out archive libraries
278 shared libraries for compatibility
280 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa aout/" -compact
282 a.out backward compatibility libraries
285 OpenSSL dynamic engines
289 misc. utility data files
291 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
293 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils222/" -compact
296 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
305 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
313 utilities and filters for LP print system;
323 restricted shell for sendmail;
333 local executables, libraries, etc.
334 Also used as the default destination for the
340 the general layout sketched out by
351 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
354 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
360 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
364 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
366 architecture-independent files
368 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
370 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
378 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
380 words from Webster's 2nd International
390 miscellaneous documentation
392 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
394 License files for vendor supplied firmware
398 various examples for users and programmers
400 ASCII text files used by various games
402 device description file for device name
404 internationalization databases; see
407 GNU Info hypertext system
409 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
417 macros for use with the me macro package;
421 misc system-wide ASCII text files
423 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
425 terminal characteristics database;
435 national language support files;
440 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
446 sendmail configuration files;
450 example . (dot) files for new accounts
455 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
463 console keyboard maps;
473 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
482 text processing macros;
488 localization support and utilities for
491 timezone configuration information;
498 third-party, and/or local source files
500 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
502 source code for files in
505 source code for contributed software
507 source code for contributed cryptography software
509 source code for files in
512 source code for files in
515 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
517 source code for files in
520 source code for files in
523 source code for files in
526 files required to produce a
530 source code for files in
533 build directory for files in
541 tools used for maintenance and testing of
544 source code for files in
547 source code for files in
552 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
554 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
556 system accounting files
558 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
560 execution accounting file;
566 timed command scheduling files;
570 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
572 directory containing job files
574 directory containing output spool files
580 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
589 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
597 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
599 empty directory used by
601 for privilege separation
603 misc. game status and score files
605 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
609 misc. system log files
611 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
621 system messages database;
625 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
630 filesystem quota information files
632 system information files describing various info about
633 system since it was booted
635 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
639 group for command connection sockets; see
642 database of current users;
646 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
659 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
661 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
663 undelivered submission mail queue;
667 undelivered mail queue;
673 the anonymous ftp root directory
675 undelivered mail queue;
679 line printer spooling directories
685 public uucp temporary directory
689 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
691 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
693 the directory where recovery files are stored
701 This manual page documents the default
703 filesystem layout, but
704 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
705 administrator's discretion.
706 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
721 manual page appeared in