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32 .\" @(#)hier.7 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/5/93
35 .Dd September 24, 2015
40 .Nd layout of file systems
42 A sketch of the file system hierarchy.
43 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa /libexec/"
45 root directory of the file system
47 user utilities fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
49 programs and configuration files used during operating system bootstrap
51 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa defaults/" -compact
53 default bootstrapping configuration files; see
56 Compiled flattened device tree (FDT) files; see
61 Loadable modules containing binary firmware for hardware that needs
62 firmware downloaded to it to function
64 pure kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory
67 third-party loadable kernel modules;
76 default mount point for CD-ROM drives
84 device special files managed by
87 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa net/" -compact
89 file descriptor files;
96 system configuration files and scripts
98 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa bluetooth/" -compact
100 default system configuration files;
104 bluetooth configuration files
106 local timezone information;
110 Sendmail control files
112 mtree configuration files;
116 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
119 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
124 System and daemon startup/control scripts;
128 OpenBSM audit configuration files;
132 ppp configuration files;
136 OpenSSH configuration files;
140 OpenSSL configuration files
143 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
148 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa geom/" -compact
150 class-specific libraries for the
155 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
160 contains subdirectories to be used as mount points
161 for removable media such as CDs, USB drives, and
164 empty directory commonly used by
165 system administrators as a temporary mount point
167 automounted NFS shares;
175 statically linked programs for emergency recovery;
179 root's HOME directory
181 system programs and administration utilities
182 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
184 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
186 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
188 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa libdata/" -compact
190 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
192 files needed to support binary compatibility with other operating systems,
195 useful and semi-frivolous programs
197 standard C include files
199 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
201 C include files for alternate queueing
203 C include files for Internet service protocols
205 C include files for the SNMP daemon
209 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
210 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
212 The SCSI device on top of CAM
215 C include files for programming various
218 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
220 Various header files describing driver- and bus-independent
223 Open Firmware support
229 The parallel port bus;
235 Physical chip driver for ATM interfaces;
244 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
246 per-process file descriptors file system
253 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
267 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
283 ISC utility library libisc include files
285 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
290 C include files for libmilter,
295 machine-specific C include files
297 miscellaneous network C include files
301 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
305 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
309 kernel key-management service;
313 IPX/SPX protocol stacks
318 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
320 include files for the signalling API
322 include files that describe signalling messages and
323 declare associated functions
325 include files for the signalling AAL layer
327 include files for the UNI signalling protocol
332 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
334 Objective C include files
336 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
340 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
342 get a line from a user, with editing;
346 remote procedure calls;
350 definition of RPC service structures; see
356 system C include files (kernel data structures)
361 .\" .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
368 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
369 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
385 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
387 a.out archive libraries
389 shared libraries for compatibility
390 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
392 a.out backward compatibility libraries
395 standalone debug data for the base system libraries and binaries
397 DTrace library scripts
399 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
401 Private system libraries not for use by third-party programs.
402 ABI and API stability are not guaranteed.
406 miscellaneous utility data files
407 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
416 various prebuilt lint libraries;
422 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
423 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
425 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
427 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
429 utilities and filters for LP print system;
446 local executables, libraries, etc.
447 Also used as the default destination for the
452 the general layout sketched out by
463 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
466 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
472 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
478 ports collection (optional).
480 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
482 architecture-independent files
484 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa calendar/" -compact
486 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
494 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
497 terms, proper names, and jargon
501 words from Webster's 2nd International
509 miscellaneous documentation;
510 source for most of the printed
516 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
518 Frequently Asked Questions
520 implementation notes for IPv6
522 documents pertaining to BIND (the Berkeley Internet Name Domain)
524 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
529 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
531 License files for vendor supplied firmwares
533 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
537 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
541 UNIX Programmer's Supplementary Documents
543 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
545 UNIX System Manager's Manual
550 UNIX User's Supplementary Documents
552 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
556 various examples for users and programmers
558 ASCII text files used by various games
560 device description file for device name
562 GNU Info hypertext system
564 known trusted and revoked keys.
565 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa keys/pkg/" -compact
580 data files used by mdocml
582 macros for use with the me macro package;
586 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
587 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
591 terminal characteristics database;
600 national language support files;
604 data files for security policies such as
612 (dot) files for new accounts
614 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon.
615 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
617 Tree definition files for use with
623 files used by syscons;
626 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
634 console keyboard maps;
643 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
648 text processing macros;
654 localization support and utilities for
657 timezone configuration information;
665 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
673 console keyboard maps;
679 .\" console screen maps
683 third-party, and/or local source files
685 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
687 source code for files in /bin
689 Utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
691 source code for contributed software
693 source code for contributed cryptography software
695 source code for files in
698 source code for files in
701 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
703 source code for files in
706 build infrastructure for kerberos version 5
708 source code for files in
711 source code for files in
714 files required to produce a
718 source code for files in
721 build directory for files in
729 tools used for maintenance and testing of
732 source code for files in
735 source code for files in
748 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
750 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
752 system accounting files
754 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
756 execution accounting file;
762 timed command scheduling files;
765 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
767 directory containing job files
769 directory containing output spool files
773 miscellaneous backup files
775 miscellaneous cached files
776 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa pkg/" -compact
783 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
791 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
799 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
801 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
804 for privilege separation.
806 miscellaneous game status and score files
808 kerberos server databases; see
811 miscellaneous system log files
813 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
827 system messages database;
831 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
836 file system quota information files
838 system information files describing various info about
839 system since it was booted
841 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
845 group for command connection sockets; see
848 database of current users;
861 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
863 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
865 undelivered submission mail queue;
869 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
871 undelivered mail queue;
875 line printer spooling directories
879 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
880 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
882 the directory where recovery files are stored
889 This manual page documents the default
891 file system layout, but
892 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
893 administrator's discretion.
894 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
911 manual page appeared in