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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 OpenSSL 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 root's HOME directory
164 system programs and administration utilities
165 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
167 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
170 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
172 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
174 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
176 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
181 collection (optional).
183 useful and semi-frivolous programs
185 standard C include files
187 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa protocols/" -compact
189 C include files for Internet service protocols
193 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
195 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scsi/" -compact
197 The SCSI device on top of CAM
201 C include files for programming various
206 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa autofs/" -compact
208 automounter filesystem
215 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa cd9660/" -compact
221 C include files for libprop
223 machine-specific C include files
227 misc network C include files
229 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
233 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
237 kernel key-management service
241 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
243 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
245 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
251 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
253 get a line from a user, with editing;
257 remote procedure calls;
261 definition of RPC service structures; see
267 system C include files (kernel data structures)
269 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
271 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
291 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa engines/" -compact
293 a.out archive libraries
295 OpenSSL dynamic engines
299 misc. utility data files
301 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
303 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils225/" -compact
306 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
317 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
327 utilities and filters for LP print system;
331 restricted shell for sendmail;
337 local executables, libraries, etc.
338 Also used as the default destination for the
344 the general layout sketched out by
355 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
358 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
364 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
368 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
370 architecture-independent files
372 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
374 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
382 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
384 words from Webster's 2nd International
394 miscellaneous documentation
396 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
398 License files for vendor supplied firmware
402 various examples for users and programmers
404 ASCII text files used by various games
406 device description file for device name
408 internationalization databases; see
411 GNU Info hypertext system
413 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
421 macros for use with the me macro package;
425 misc system-wide ASCII text files
427 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
429 terminal characteristics database;
439 national language support files;
444 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
450 sendmail configuration files;
454 example . (dot) files for new accounts
459 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
467 console keyboard maps;
477 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
486 text processing macros;
492 localization support and utilities for
495 timezone configuration information;
502 third-party, and/or local source files
504 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
506 source code for files in
509 source code for contributed software
511 source code for contributed cryptography software
513 source code for files in
516 source code for files in
519 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
521 source code for files in
524 source code for files in
527 source code for files in
530 files required to produce a
534 source code for files in
542 tools used for maintenance and testing of
545 source code for files in
548 source code for files in
553 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
555 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
557 system accounting files
559 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
561 execution accounting file;
567 timed command scheduling files;
571 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
573 directory containing job files
575 directory containing output spool files
581 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
590 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
598 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
600 empty directory used by
602 for privilege separation
604 misc. game status and score files
606 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
610 misc. system log files
612 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
622 system messages database;
626 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
631 filesystem quota information files
633 system information files describing various info about
634 system since it was booted
636 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
640 group for command connection sockets; see
643 database of current users;
647 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
660 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
662 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
664 undelivered submission mail queue;
668 undelivered mail queue;
674 the anonymous ftp root directory
676 undelivered mail queue;
680 line printer spooling directories
684 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
686 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
688 the directory where recovery files are stored
696 This manual page documents the default
698 filesystem layout, but
699 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
700 administrator's discretion.
701 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
716 manual page appeared in