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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
243 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
245 per-process file descriptors file system
249 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
263 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
278 C include files for libmilter,
283 machine-specific C include files
285 miscellaneous network C include files
286 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
288 C include files for alternate queueing
291 C include files for 802.11 wireless networking;
295 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
299 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
303 kernel key-management service;
309 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
311 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
313 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
315 remote procedure calls;
319 definition of RPC service structures; see
325 system C include files (kernel data structures)
330 .\" .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
337 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
338 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
355 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
357 a.out archive libraries
359 shared libraries for compatibility
360 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
362 a.out backward compatibility libraries
365 standalone debug data for the kernel and base system libraries and binaries
367 DTrace library scripts
369 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
373 miscellaneous utility data files
375 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
386 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
388 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
390 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
392 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
394 utilities and filters for LP print system;
411 local executables, libraries, etc.
412 Also used as the default destination for the
417 the general layout sketched out by
425 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
431 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
440 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
442 architecture-independent files
444 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
446 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
453 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
456 terms, proper names, and jargon
458 words from Webster's 2nd International
461 miscellaneous documentation;
462 source for most of the printed
468 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
470 Frequently Asked Questions
472 implementation notes for IPv6
474 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
479 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
481 License files for vendor supplied firmware files
483 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
487 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
489 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
494 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
497 various examples for users and programmers
499 firmware images loaded by userland programs
501 ASCII text files used by various games
503 known trusted and revoked keys.
504 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
518 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
519 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
523 terminal characteristics database;
532 national language support files
534 data files for security policies such as
542 (dot) files for new accounts
544 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon.
545 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
547 tree definition files for use with
553 files used by syscons;
556 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
564 console keyboard maps;
573 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
578 localization support and utilities for
584 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
592 console keyboard maps;
598 .\" console screen maps
601 timezone configuration information;
610 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
612 source code for files in /bin
614 utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
616 source code for contributed software
618 source code for contributed cryptography software
620 source code for files in
623 utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
625 source code for files in
628 build infrastructure for Kerberos version 5
630 source code for files in
635 source code for files in
638 files required to produce a
642 source code for files in
645 source code for files in
648 build directory for files in
654 boot loader source code
657 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
659 AMD64 architecture support
661 ARM architecture support
663 ARMv8 architecture support
669 CDDL-licensed optional sources, including ZFS
680 i386 (32 bit) architecture support
682 main part of the kernel
684 MIPS architecture support
702 PowerPC/POWER architecture support
704 RISC-V architecture support
710 SPARC64 architecture support
716 code shared by AMD64 and i386 architectures
719 support for experimental DIRDEPS_BUILD
721 source code for files in
724 tools used for maintenance and testing of
727 source code for files in
730 source code for files in
741 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
743 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
745 system accounting files
747 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
749 execution accounting file;
755 timed command scheduling files;
759 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
761 directory containing job files
763 directory containing output spool files
767 miscellaneous backup files
769 miscellaneous cached files
771 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
778 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
787 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
795 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
797 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
800 for privilege separation.
802 miscellaneous game status and score files
804 Kerberos server databases; see
807 miscellaneous system log files
809 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
823 system messages database;
827 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
832 file system quota information files
834 system information files describing various info about
835 system since it was booted
837 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
841 group for command connection sockets; see
844 database of current users;
857 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
859 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
861 undelivered submission mail queue;
865 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
867 undelivered mail queue;
871 line printer spooling directories
875 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
877 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
879 the directory where recovery files are stored
887 This manual page documents the default
889 file system layout, but
890 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
891 administrator's discretion.
892 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
909 manual page appeared in