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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 binutils225/" -compact
307 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
318 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
328 utilities and filters for LP print system;
332 restricted shell for sendmail;
342 local executables, libraries, etc.
343 Also used as the default destination for the
349 the general layout sketched out by
360 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
363 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
369 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
373 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
375 architecture-independent files
377 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
379 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
387 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
389 words from Webster's 2nd International
399 miscellaneous documentation
401 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
403 License files for vendor supplied firmware
407 various examples for users and programmers
409 ASCII text files used by various games
411 device description file for device name
413 internationalization databases; see
416 GNU Info hypertext system
418 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
426 macros for use with the me macro package;
430 misc system-wide ASCII text files
432 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
434 terminal characteristics database;
444 national language support files;
449 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
455 sendmail configuration files;
459 example . (dot) files for new accounts
464 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
472 console keyboard maps;
482 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
491 text processing macros;
497 localization support and utilities for
500 timezone configuration information;
507 third-party, and/or local source files
509 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
511 source code for files in
514 source code for contributed software
516 source code for contributed cryptography software
518 source code for files in
521 source code for files in
524 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
526 source code for files in
529 source code for files in
532 source code for files in
535 files required to produce a
539 source code for files in
547 tools used for maintenance and testing of
550 source code for files in
553 source code for files in
558 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
560 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
562 system accounting files
564 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
566 execution accounting file;
572 timed command scheduling files;
576 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
578 directory containing job files
580 directory containing output spool files
586 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
595 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
603 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
605 empty directory used by
607 for privilege separation
609 misc. game status and score files
611 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
615 misc. system log files
617 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
627 system messages database;
631 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
636 filesystem quota information files
638 system information files describing various info about
639 system since it was booted
641 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
645 group for command connection sockets; see
648 database of current users;
652 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
665 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
667 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
669 undelivered submission mail queue;
673 undelivered mail queue;
679 the anonymous ftp root directory
681 undelivered mail queue;
685 line printer spooling directories
691 public uucp temporary directory
695 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
697 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
699 the directory where recovery files are stored
707 This manual page documents the default
709 filesystem layout, but
710 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
711 administrator's discretion.
712 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
727 manual page appeared in