+
+
+ / |
+ Primary hierarchy root and root directory of the entire file system hierarchy. |
+
+
+
+ /bin |
+ Essential command binaries that need to be available in single user mode; for all users, e.g., cat, ls, cp. |
+
+
+
+ /boot |
+ Boot loader files, e.g., kernels, initrd. |
+
+
+
+ /dev |
+ Essential devices, e.g., /dev/null. |
+
+
+
+ /etc |
+ Host-specific system-wide configuration filesThere has been controversy over the meaning of the name itself. In early versions of the UNIX Implementation Document from Bell labs, /etc is referred to as the etcetera directory, as this directory historically held everything that did not belong elsewhere (however, the FHS restricts /etc to static configuration files and may not contain binaries). Since the publication of early documentation, the directory name has been re-designated in various ways. Recent interpretations include backronyms such as “Editable Text Configuration” or “Extended Tool Chest”. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /opt
+
+ |
+ Configuration files for add-on packages that are stored in /opt/. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /sgml
+
+ |
+ Configuration files, such as catalogs, for software that processes SGML. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /X11
+
+ |
+ Configuration files for the X Window System, version 11. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /xml
+
+ |
+ Configuration files, such as catalogs, for software that processes XML. |
+
+
+
+ /home |
+ Users’ home directories, containing saved files, personal settings, etc. |
+
+
+
+ /lib |
+ Libraries essential for the binaries in /bin/ and /sbin/. |
+
+
+
+ /lib<qual> |
+ Alternate format essential libraries. Such directories are optional, but if they exist, they have some requirements. |
+
+
+
+ /media |
+ Mount points for removable media such as CD-ROMs (appeared in FHS-2.3). |
+
+
+
+ /mnt |
+ Temporarily mounted filesystems. |
+
+
+
+ /opt |
+ Optional application software packages. |
+
+
+
+ /proc |
+ Virtual filesystem providing process and kernel information as files. In Linux, corresponds to a procfs mount. |
+
+
+
+ /root |
+ Home directory for the root user. |
+
+
+
+ /sbin |
+ Essential system binaries, e.g., init, ip, mount. |
+
+
+
+ /srv |
+ Site-specific data which are served by the system. |
+
+
+
+ /tmp |
+ Temporary files (see also /var/tmp). Often not preserved between system reboots. |
+
+
+
+ /usr |
+ Secondary hierarchy for read-only user data; contains the majority of (multi-)user utilities and applications. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /bin
+
+ |
+ Non-essential command binaries (not needed in single user mode); for all users. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /include
+
+ |
+ Standard include files. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /lib
+
+ |
+ Libraries for the binaries in /usr/bin/ and /usr/sbin/. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /lib<qual>
+
+ |
+ Alternate format libraries (optional). |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /local
+
+ |
+ Tertiary hierarchy for local data, specific to this host. Typically has further subdirectories, e.g., bin/, lib/, share/. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /sbin
+
+ |
+ Non-essential system binaries, e.g., daemons for various network-services. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /share
+
+ |
+ Architecture-independent (shared) data. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /src
+
+ |
+ Source code, e.g., the kernel source code with its header files. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /X11R6
+
+ |
+ X Window System, Version 11, Release 6. |
+
+
+
+ /var |
+ Variable files—files whose content is expected to continually change during normal operation of the system—such as logs, spool files, and temporary e-mail files. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /cache
+
+ |
+ Application cache data. Such data are locally generated as a result of time-consuming I/O or calculation. The application must be able to regenerate or restore the data. The cached files can be deleted without loss of data. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /lib
+
+ |
+ State information. Persistent data modified by programs as they run, e.g., databases, packaging system metadata, etc. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /lock
+
+ |
+ Lock files. Files keeping track of resources currently in use. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /log
+
+ |
+ Log files. Various logs. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /mail
+
+ |
+ Users’ mailboxes. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /opt
+
+ |
+ Variable data from add-on packages that are stored in /opt/. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /run
+
+ |
+ Information about the running system since last boot, e.g., currently logged-in users and running daemons. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /spool
+
+ |
+ Spool for tasks waiting to be processed, e.g., print queues and outgoing mail queue. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ -
+
+ /mail
+
+
+
+ |
+ Deprecated location for users’ mailboxes. |
+
+
+
+ -
+
+ /tmp
+
+ |
+ Temporary files to be preserved between reboots. |
+
+
+