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28 .\" @(#)hier.7 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/5/93
36 .Nd layout of file systems
38 A sketch of the file system hierarchy.
39 .Bl -tag -width "/libexec/"
41 root directory of the file system
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 "defaults/" -compact
49 default bootstrapping configuration files; see
52 Compiled flattened device tree (FDT) files; see
57 Mount point for EFI System Partition (ESP) on UEFI systems
59 loadable kernel modules containing binary firmware for hardware that needs
60 firmware downloaded to it to function
62 pure kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory
63 at boot time) and kernel modules
65 third-party loadable kernel modules, such as the ones installed from
68 Compiled flattened device tree (FDT) overlays; see
77 default mount point for CD-ROM drives
85 device special files managed by
88 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
90 file descriptor files;
95 system configuration files and scripts
97 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
99 default system configuration files;
103 bluetooth configuration files
105 local timezone information;
109 Sendmail control files
111 mtree configuration files;
115 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
118 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
123 system and daemon startup/control scripts;
127 OpenBSM audit configuration files;
131 ppp configuration files;
135 OpenSSH configuration files;
139 OpenSSL configuration files
142 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
147 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
151 Capsicum support libraries
153 class-specific libraries for the
157 vendor-specific libraries to extend the
162 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
167 contains subdirectories to be used as mount points
168 for removable media such as CDs, USB drives, and
171 empty directory commonly used by
172 system administrators as a temporary mount point
174 automounted NFS shares;
182 statically linked programs for emergency recovery;
186 root's HOME directory
188 system programs and administration utilities
189 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
191 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
193 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
195 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
197 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
199 files needed to support binary compatibility with other operating systems;
203 standard C include files
205 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
207 C include files for Internet service protocols
209 C include files for the SNMP daemon
213 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
214 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
216 SCSI device on top of CAM
219 C include files for programming various
222 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
224 various header files describing driver- and bus-independent
227 Open Firmware support
240 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
242 per-process file descriptors file system
246 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
260 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
275 C include files for libmilter,
280 machine-specific C include files
282 miscellaneous network C include files
283 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
285 C include files for alternate queueing
288 C include files for 802.11 wireless networking;
292 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
296 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
300 kernel key-management service;
306 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
308 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
310 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
312 remote procedure calls;
316 definition of RPC service structures; see
322 system C include files (kernel data structures)
327 .\" .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
334 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
335 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
352 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
354 a.out archive libraries
356 shared libraries for compatibility
357 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
359 a.out backward compatibility libraries
362 standalone debug data for the kernel and base system libraries and binaries
364 DTrace library scripts
366 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
370 miscellaneous utility data files
372 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
383 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
385 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
387 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
389 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
391 utilities and filters for LP print system;
408 local executables, libraries, etc.
409 Also used as the default destination for the
414 the general layout sketched out by
422 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
428 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
437 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
439 architecture-independent files
441 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
443 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
450 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
453 terms, proper names, and jargon
455 words from Webster's 2nd International
458 miscellaneous documentation;
459 source for most of the printed
465 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
467 Frequently Asked Questions
469 implementation notes for IPv6
471 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
476 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
478 License files for vendor supplied firmware files
480 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
484 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
486 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
491 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
494 various examples for users and programmers
496 firmware images loaded by userland programs
498 ASCII text files used by various games
500 known trusted and revoked keys.
501 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
515 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
516 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
520 terminal characteristics database;
529 national language support files
531 data files for security policies such as
539 (dot) files for new accounts
541 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon.
542 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
544 tree definition files for use with
550 files used by syscons;
553 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
561 console keyboard maps;
570 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
575 localization support and utilities for
581 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
589 console keyboard maps;
595 .\" console screen maps
598 timezone configuration information;
607 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
609 source code for files in /bin
611 utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
613 source code for contributed software
615 source code for contributed cryptography software
617 source code for files in
620 utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
622 source code for files in
625 build infrastructure for Kerberos version 5
627 source code for files in
632 source code for files in
635 files required to produce a
639 source code for files in
642 source code for files in
645 build directory for files in
651 boot loader source code
654 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
656 AMD64 architecture support
658 ARM architecture support
660 ARMv8 architecture support
666 CDDL-licensed optional sources, including ZFS
677 i386 (32 bit) architecture support
679 main part of the kernel
681 MIPS architecture support
699 PowerPC/POWER architecture support
701 RISC-V architecture support
707 SPARC64 architecture support
713 code shared by AMD64 and i386 architectures
716 support for experimental DIRDEPS_BUILD
718 source code for files in
721 tools used for maintenance and testing of
724 source code for files in
727 source code for files in
738 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
740 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
742 system accounting files
744 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
746 execution accounting file;
752 timed command scheduling files;
756 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
758 directory containing job files
760 directory containing output spool files
764 miscellaneous backup files
766 miscellaneous cached files
768 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
775 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
784 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
792 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
794 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
797 for privilege separation.
799 miscellaneous game status and score files
801 Kerberos server databases; see
804 miscellaneous system log files
806 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
820 system messages database;
824 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
829 file system quota information files
831 system information files describing various info about
832 system since it was booted
834 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
836 bhyve vm unix domain sockets
840 group for command connection sockets; see
843 database of current users;
856 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
858 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
860 undelivered submission mail queue;
864 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
866 undelivered mail queue;
870 line printer spooling directories
874 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
876 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
878 the directory where recovery files are stored
886 This manual page documents the default
888 file system layout, but
889 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
890 administrator's discretion.
891 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
908 manual page appeared in