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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 shell scripts to implement special maps and directory services via
86 bluetooth configuration files
88 default system configuration files;
99 local timezone information;
103 Sendmail control files
105 mtree configuration files;
109 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
112 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
117 ppp configuration files;
121 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
125 OpenSSH configuration files;
129 LibreSSL configuration files
131 Files relevant to system upgrades
134 HOME directories of non-root users
136 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
141 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
146 empty directory commonly used by
147 system administrators as a temporary mount point
149 automounted NFS shares;
153 pseudo file system directory (on
162 statically linked rescue tools, see
165 root's HOME directory
167 system programs and administration utilities
168 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
170 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
173 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
175 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
177 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
179 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
184 collection (optional).
186 useful and semi-frivolous programs
188 standard C include files
190 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa protocols/" -compact
192 C include files for Internet service protocols
194 C include files for programming various
200 C include files for compatibility with code ported from other
203 C include files for programming various
207 C include files for libprop
209 machine-specific C include files
211 misc network C include files
213 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
217 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
223 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
227 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
229 get a line from a user, with editing;
233 remote procedure calls;
237 definition of RPC service structures; see
243 system C include files (kernel data structures)
245 C include files for various file systems
255 misc. utility data files
257 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
259 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils234/" -compact
262 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
273 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
283 utilities and filters for LP print system;
289 local executables, libraries, etc.
290 Also used as the default destination for the
296 the general layout sketched out by
307 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
310 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
316 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
320 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
322 architecture-independent files
324 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa installer/" -compact
326 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
334 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
336 words from Webster's 2nd International
346 miscellaneous documentation
348 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
350 License files for vendor supplied firmware
357 various examples for users and programmers
359 ASCII text files used by various games
361 internationalization databases; see
364 GNU Info hypertext system
366 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
374 misc system-wide ASCII text files
376 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
378 terminal characteristics database;
388 national language support files;
392 sendmail configuration files;
396 example . (dot) files for new accounts
401 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
409 console keyboard maps;
419 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
428 localization support and utilities for
431 timezone configuration information;
438 third-party, and/or local source files
440 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
442 source code for files in
445 source code for contributed software
447 source code for contributed cryptography software
449 source code for files in
452 source code for files in
455 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
457 source code for files in
460 source code for files in
463 source code for files in
466 files required to produce a
470 source code for files in
478 tools used for maintenance and testing of
481 source code for files in
484 source code for files in
489 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
491 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
493 system accounting files
495 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
497 execution accounting file;
503 timed command scheduling files;
507 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
509 directory containing job files
511 directory containing output spool files
517 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
526 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
534 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
536 empty directory used by
538 for privilege separation
540 misc. game status and score files
542 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
546 misc. system log files
548 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmpx" -compact
558 system messages database;
562 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
567 filesystem quota information files
569 system information files describing various info about
570 system since it was booted
572 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa resolvconf/" -compact
580 group for command connection sockets; see
586 database of current users;
590 rendez-vous files for POSIX named semaphores;
594 files associated with POSIX shared memory objects;
607 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
609 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
611 undelivered submission mail queue;
615 undelivered mail queue;
621 the anonymous ftp root directory
623 undelivered mail queue;
627 line printer spooling directories
631 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
633 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
635 the directory where recovery files are stored
643 This manual page documents the default
645 filesystem layout, but
646 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
647 administrator's discretion.
648 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
663 manual page appeared in