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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 lint/" -compact
301 various prebuilt lint libraries;
307 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
309 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils221/" -compact
312 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
321 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
329 utilities and filters for LP print system;
339 restricted shell for sendmail;
349 local executables, libraries, etc.
352 the general layout sketched out by
359 directory (directly under
364 .Pa share/doc/<app>/ ) ,
370 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
374 default destination directory for the
379 the general layout sketched out by
386 directory (directly under
391 .Pa share/doc/<pkg>/ ) ,
399 collection (optional).
401 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
403 architecture-independent files
405 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
407 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
415 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
417 words from Webster's 2nd International
427 miscellaneous documentation
428 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
430 License files for vendor supplied firmware
434 various examples for users and programmers
436 ASCII text files used by various games
438 device description file for device name
440 internationalization databases; see
443 GNU Info hypertext system
445 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
453 macros for use with the me macro package;
457 misc system-wide ASCII text files
459 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
461 terminal characteristics database;
471 national language support files;
476 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
482 sendmail configuration files;
486 example . (dot) files for new accounts
491 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
499 console keyboard maps;
509 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
518 text processing macros;
524 localization support and utilities for
527 timezone configuration information;
534 third-party, and/or local source files
536 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
538 source code for files in
541 source code for contributed software
543 source code for contributed cryptography software
545 source code for files in
548 source code for files in
551 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
553 source code for files in
556 source code for files in
559 source code for files in
562 files required to produce a
566 source code for files in
569 build directory for files in
577 tools used for maintenance and testing of
580 source code for files in
583 source code for files in
588 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
590 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
592 system accounting files
594 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
596 execution accounting file;
602 timed command scheduling files;
606 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
608 directory containing job files
610 directory containing output spool files
616 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
625 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
633 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
635 empty directory used by
637 for privilege separation
639 misc. game status and score files
641 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
645 misc. system log files
647 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
657 system messages database;
661 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
666 filesystem quota information files
668 system information files describing various info about
669 system since it was booted
671 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
675 group for command connection sockets; see
678 database of current users;
691 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
693 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
695 undelivered submission mail queue;
699 undelivered mail queue;
705 the anonymous ftp root directory
707 undelivered mail queue;
711 line printer spooling directories
717 public uucp temporary directory
721 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
723 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
725 the directory where recovery files are stored
733 This manual page documents the default
735 filesystem layout, but
736 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
737 administrator's discretion.
738 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
753 manual page appeared in