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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
83 device special files managed by
86 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
88 file descriptor files;
93 system configuration files and scripts
95 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
97 default system configuration files;
101 bluetooth configuration files
103 local timezone information;
107 Sendmail control files
109 mtree configuration files;
113 configuration files for the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM)
116 scripts that are run daily, weekly, and monthly, via
121 system and daemon startup/control scripts;
125 OpenBSM audit configuration files;
129 ppp configuration files;
133 OpenSSH configuration files;
137 OpenSSL configuration files
140 critical system libraries needed for binaries in
145 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
149 Capsicum support libraries
151 class-specific libraries for the
155 vendor-specific libraries to extend the
160 critical system utilities needed for binaries in
165 contains subdirectories to be used as mount points
166 for removable media such as CDs, USB drives, and
169 empty directory commonly used by
170 system administrators as a temporary mount point
172 automounted NFS shares;
176 a non-existent directory;
177 by convention, it serves as a home directory
178 for special user accounts
179 that need no home directory;
187 statically linked programs for emergency recovery;
191 root's HOME directory
193 system programs and administration utilities
194 fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments
196 temporary files that are not guaranteed to persist across system reboots
198 contains the majority of user utilities and applications
200 .Bl -tag -width "freebsd-dist/" -compact
202 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
204 files needed to support binary compatibility with other operating systems;
215 standard C include files
217 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
219 C include files for Internet service protocols
221 C include files for the SNMP daemon
225 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
226 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
228 SCSI device on top of CAM
231 C include files for programming various
234 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
236 various header files describing driver- and bus-independent
239 Open Firmware support
252 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
254 per-process file descriptors file system
258 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
272 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
287 C include files for libmilter,
292 machine-specific C include files
294 miscellaneous network C include files
295 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
297 C include files for alternate packet queueing; see
301 C include files for 802.11 wireless networking;
305 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
309 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
313 kernel key-management service;
319 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
321 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
323 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
325 remote procedure calls;
329 definition of RPC service structures; see
335 system C include files (kernel data structures)
340 .\" .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
347 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
348 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
365 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
367 shared libraries for compatibility
369 standalone debug data for the kernel and base system libraries and binaries
371 DTrace library scripts
373 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
377 miscellaneous utility data files
379 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
392 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
394 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
396 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
398 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
400 utilities and filters for LP print system;
417 local executables, libraries, etc.
418 Also used as the default destination for the
423 the general layout sketched out by
431 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
437 architecture-specific target tree produced by building
444 ports collection; see
447 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
449 architecture-independent files
451 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
453 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
460 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
463 terms, proper names, and jargon
465 words from Webster's 2nd International
468 miscellaneous documentation;
469 source for most of the printed
475 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
477 Frequently Asked Questions
479 implementation notes for IPv6
481 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
486 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
488 License files for vendor supplied firmware files
490 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
494 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
496 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
501 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
504 various examples for users and programmers
506 firmware images loaded by userland programs
508 ASCII text files used by various games
510 known trusted and revoked keys
511 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
525 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
526 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
530 terminal characteristics database;
539 national language support files
541 data files for security policies such as
549 (dot) files for new accounts
551 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon
552 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
554 tree definition files for use with
560 files used by syscons;
563 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
571 console keyboard maps;
580 files necessary for the -sysroot compiler/linker argument to build non-native
582 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
592 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
593 .It Pa MACHINE.MACHINE_ARCH/
594 represent the binary ABI for these files.
606 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
611 localization support and utilities for
617 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
625 console keyboard maps;
631 .\" console screen maps
634 timezone configuration information;
643 The layout of the source tree is described by the top-level
654 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
656 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
658 system accounting files
660 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
662 execution accounting file;
668 timed command scheduling files;
672 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
674 directory containing job files
676 directory containing output spool files
680 miscellaneous backup files
682 miscellaneous cached files
684 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
691 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
700 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
708 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
709 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
710 .It Pa freebsd-update/
712 work directory for temporary files and downloaded updates
715 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
718 for privilege separation
720 miscellaneous game status and score files
722 Kerberos server databases; see
725 miscellaneous system log files
727 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
741 system messages database;
745 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
750 file system quota information files
752 system information files describing various info about
753 system since it was booted
755 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
759 .Xr unix 4 Ns -domain sockets
763 group for command connection sockets; see
766 database of current users;
779 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
781 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
783 undelivered submission mail queue;
791 undelivered mail queue;
795 line printer spooling directories
799 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
801 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
803 the directory where recovery files are stored
812 This manual page documents the default
814 file system layout, but
815 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
816 administrator's discretion.
817 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
829 manual page appeared in