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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 engines/" -compact
273 a.out archive libraries
275 OpenSSL dynamic engines
279 misc. utility data files
281 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
283 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils224/" -compact
286 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
295 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ldscripts/" -compact
303 utilities and filters for LP print system;
313 restricted shell for sendmail;
323 local executables, libraries, etc.
324 Also used as the default destination for the
330 the general layout sketched out by
341 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
344 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
350 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
354 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
356 architecture-independent files
358 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
360 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
368 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
370 words from Webster's 2nd International
380 miscellaneous documentation
382 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
384 License files for vendor supplied firmware
388 various examples for users and programmers
390 ASCII text files used by various games
392 device description file for device name
394 internationalization databases; see
397 GNU Info hypertext system
399 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
407 macros for use with the me macro package;
411 misc system-wide ASCII text files
413 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
415 terminal characteristics database;
425 national language support files;
430 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
436 sendmail configuration files;
440 example . (dot) files for new accounts
445 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
453 console keyboard maps;
463 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
472 text processing macros;
478 localization support and utilities for
481 timezone configuration information;
488 third-party, and/or local source files
490 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
492 source code for files in
495 source code for contributed software
497 source code for contributed cryptography software
499 source code for files in
502 source code for files in
505 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
507 source code for files in
510 source code for files in
513 source code for files in
516 files required to produce a
520 source code for files in
523 build directory for files in
531 tools used for maintenance and testing of
534 source code for files in
537 source code for files in
542 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
544 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
546 system accounting files
548 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
550 execution accounting file;
556 timed command scheduling files;
560 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
562 directory containing job files
564 directory containing output spool files
570 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
579 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
587 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
589 empty directory used by
591 for privilege separation
593 misc. game status and score files
595 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
599 misc. system log files
601 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
611 system messages database;
615 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
620 filesystem quota information files
622 system information files describing various info about
623 system since it was booted
625 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
629 group for command connection sockets; see
632 database of current users;
636 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
649 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
651 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
653 undelivered submission mail queue;
657 undelivered mail queue;
663 the anonymous ftp root directory
665 undelivered mail queue;
669 line printer spooling directories
675 public uucp temporary directory
679 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
681 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
683 the directory where recovery files are stored
691 This manual page documents the default
693 filesystem layout, but
694 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
695 administrator's discretion.
696 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
711 manual page appeared in