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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
131 HOME directories of non-root users
133 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
138 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
143 empty directory commonly used by
144 system administrators as a temporary mount point
146 automounted NFS shares;
150 pseudo file system directory (on
159 root's HOME directory
161 system programs and administration utilities
162 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
164 the kernel's source code (usually a symbolic link to
167 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
169 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
171 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
173 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
178 collection (optional).
180 useful and semi-frivolous programs
182 standard C include files
184 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa protocols/" -compact
186 C include files for Internet service protocols
190 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
192 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scsi/" -compact
194 The SCSI device on top of CAM
198 C include files for programming various
202 Include Files for various emulation layers
205 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa smbfs/" -compact
212 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa cd9660/" -compact
218 C include files for libprop
220 machine-specific C include files
224 misc network C include files
226 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
230 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
234 kernel key-management service
238 C include files for NFS (Network File System)
240 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
242 Packet Capture (libpcap) headers;
248 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
250 get a line from a user, with editing;
254 remote procedure calls;
258 definition of RPC service structures; see
264 system C include files (kernel data structures)
266 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
268 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ffs/" -compact
288 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa engines/" -compact
290 a.out archive libraries
292 OpenSSL dynamic engines
296 misc. utility data files
298 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
300 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa binutils225/" -compact
303 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
314 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bfd-plugins/" -compact
324 utilities and filters for LP print system;
328 restricted shell for sendmail;
334 local executables, libraries, etc.
335 Also used as the default destination for the
341 the general layout sketched out by
352 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
355 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
361 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
365 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
367 architecture-independent files
369 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa groff_font/" -compact
371 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
379 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa papers/" -compact
381 words from Webster's 2nd International
391 miscellaneous documentation
393 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa legal/" -compact
395 License files for vendor supplied firmware
399 various examples for users and programmers
401 ASCII text files used by various games
403 device description file for device name
405 internationalization databases; see
408 GNU Info hypertext system
410 libg++'s genclass prototype/template class files
418 macros for use with the me macro package;
422 misc system-wide ASCII text files
424 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa termcap" -compact
426 terminal characteristics database;
436 national language support files;
441 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa man/" -compact
447 sendmail configuration files;
451 example . (dot) files for new accounts
456 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
464 console keyboard maps;
474 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
483 text processing macros;
489 localization support and utilities for
492 timezone configuration information;
499 third-party, and/or local source files
501 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa nrelease/" -compact
503 source code for files in
506 source code for contributed software
508 source code for contributed cryptography software
510 source code for files in
513 source code for files in
516 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
518 source code for files in
521 source code for files in
524 source code for files in
527 files required to produce a
531 source code for files in
539 tools used for maintenance and testing of
542 source code for files in
545 source code for files in
550 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
552 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
554 system accounting files
556 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa acct" -compact
558 execution accounting file;
564 timed command scheduling files;
568 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa spool/" -compact
570 directory containing job files
572 directory containing output spool files
578 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
587 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa tabs/" -compact
595 misc. automatically generated system-specific database files
597 empty directory used by
599 for privilege separation
601 misc. game status and score files
603 per PFS (pseudo file system) snapshots directory for
607 misc. system log files
609 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa wtmp" -compact
619 system messages database;
623 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
628 filesystem quota information files
630 system information files describing various info about
631 system since it was booted
633 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa ppp/" -compact
637 group for command connection sockets; see
640 database of current users;
644 rendez-vous files for posix named semaphores;
657 misc. printer and mail system spooling directories
659 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa clientmqueue/" -compact
661 undelivered submission mail queue;
665 undelivered mail queue;
671 the anonymous ftp root directory
673 undelivered mail queue;
677 line printer spooling directories
681 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
683 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa vi.recover/" -compact
685 the directory where recovery files are stored
693 This manual page documents the default
695 filesystem layout, but
696 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
697 administrator's discretion.
698 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
713 manual page appeared in