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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 ".Pa /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 ".Pa defaults/" -compact
49 default bootstrapping configuration files; see
52 Compiled flattened device tree (FDT) files; see
57 Loadable modules containing binary firmware for hardware that needs
58 firmware downloaded to it to function
60 pure kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory
63 third-party loadable kernel modules;
72 default mount point for CD-ROM drives
80 device special files managed by
83 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa net/" -compact
85 file descriptor files;
92 system configuration files and scripts
94 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bluetooth/" -compact
96 default system configuration files;
100 bluetooth configuration files
102 local timezone information;
106 Sendmail control files
108 mtree configuration files;
112 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
115 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
120 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
124 OpenBSM audit configuration files;
128 ppp configuration files;
132 OpenSSH configuration files;
136 OpenSSL configuration files
139 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
144 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa geom/" -compact
146 class-specific libraries for the
151 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
156 contains subdirectories to be used as mount points
157 for removable media such as CDs, USB drives, and
160 empty directory commonly used by
161 system administrators as a temporary mount point
163 automounted NFS shares;
171 statically linked programs for emergency recovery;
175 root's HOME directory
177 system programs and administration utilities
178 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
180 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
182 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
184 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
186 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
188 files needed to support binary compatibility with other operating systems,
191 standard C include files
193 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
195 C include files for alternate queueing
197 C include files for Internet service protocols
199 C include files for the SNMP daemon
203 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
204 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
206 The SCSI device on top of CAM
209 C include files for programming various
212 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
214 Various header files describing driver- and bus-independent
217 Open Firmware support
223 The parallel port bus;
229 Physical chip driver for ATM interfaces;
238 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
242 per-process file descriptors file system
249 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
263 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
279 ISC utility library libisc include files
281 C include files for libmilter,
286 machine-specific C include files
288 miscellaneous network C include files
290 C include files for 802.11 wireless networking;
294 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
298 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
302 kernel key-management service;
309 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
311 include files for the signalling API
313 include files that describe signalling messages and
314 declare associated functions
316 include files for the signalling AAL layer
318 include files for the UNI signalling protocol
323 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
325 Objective C include files
327 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
331 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
333 get a line from a user, with editing;
337 remote procedure calls;
341 definition of RPC service structures; see
347 system C include files (kernel data structures)
352 .\" .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
359 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
360 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
376 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
378 a.out archive libraries
380 shared libraries for compatibility
381 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
383 a.out backward compatibility libraries
386 standalone debug data for the kernel and base system libraries and binaries
388 DTrace library scripts
390 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
392 Private system libraries not for use by third-party programs.
393 ABI and API stability are not guaranteed.
397 miscellaneous utility data files
398 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
407 various prebuilt lint libraries;
413 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
414 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
416 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
418 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
420 utilities and filters for LP print system;
437 local executables, libraries, etc.
438 Also used as the default destination for the
443 the general layout sketched out by
454 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
457 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
463 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
469 ports collection (optional).
471 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
473 architecture-independent files
475 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa calendar/" -compact
477 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
485 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
488 terms, proper names, and jargon
492 words from Webster's 2nd International
500 miscellaneous documentation;
501 source for most of the printed
507 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
509 Frequently Asked Questions
511 implementation notes for IPv6
513 documents pertaining to BIND (the Berkeley Internet Name Domain)
515 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
520 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
522 License files for vendor supplied firmwares
524 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
528 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
532 UNIX Programmer's Supplementary Documents
534 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
536 UNIX System Manager's Manual
541 UNIX User's Supplementary Documents
543 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
547 various examples for users and programmers
549 Firmware images loaded by userland programs
551 ASCII text files used by various games
553 device description file for device name
555 GNU Info hypertext system
557 known trusted and revoked keys.
558 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa keys/pkg/" -compact
573 data files used by mdocml
575 macros for use with the me macro package;
579 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
580 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
584 terminal characteristics database;
593 national language support files;
597 data files for security policies such as
605 (dot) files for new accounts
607 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon.
608 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
610 Tree definition files for use with
616 files used by syscons;
619 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
627 console keyboard maps;
636 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
641 text processing macros;
647 localization support and utilities for
650 timezone configuration information;
658 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
666 console keyboard maps;
672 .\" console screen maps
676 third-party, and/or local source files
678 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
680 source code for files in /bin
682 Utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
684 source code for contributed software
686 source code for contributed cryptography software
688 source code for files in
691 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
693 source code for files in
696 build infrastructure for kerberos version 5
698 source code for files in
701 source code for files in
704 files required to produce a
708 source code for files in
711 build directory for files in
719 tools used for maintenance and testing of
722 source code for files in
725 source code for files in
738 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
740 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
742 system accounting files
744 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
746 execution accounting file;
752 timed command scheduling files;
755 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
757 directory containing job files
759 directory containing output spool files
763 miscellaneous backup files
765 miscellaneous cached files
766 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa pkg/" -compact
773 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
781 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
789 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
791 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
794 for privilege separation.
796 miscellaneous game status and score files
798 kerberos server databases; see
801 miscellaneous system log files
803 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
817 system messages database;
821 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
826 file system quota information files
828 system information files describing various info about
829 system since it was booted
831 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
835 group for command connection sockets; see
838 database of current users;
851 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
853 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
855 undelivered submission mail queue;
859 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
861 undelivered mail queue;
865 line printer spooling directories
869 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
870 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
872 the directory where recovery files are stored
879 This manual page documents the default
881 file system layout, but
882 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
883 administrator's discretion.
884 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
901 manual page appeared in