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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 "freebsd-dist/" -compact
197 common utilities, programming tools, and applications
199 files needed to support binary compatibility with other operating systems;
210 standard C include files
212 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
214 C include files for Internet service protocols
216 C include files for the SNMP daemon
220 C include files for the Common Access Methods Layer
221 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
223 SCSI device on top of CAM
226 C include files for programming various
229 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
231 various header files describing driver- and bus-independent
234 Open Firmware support
247 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
249 per-process file descriptors file system
253 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2, 3 and 4
267 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
282 C include files for libmilter,
287 machine-specific C include files
289 miscellaneous network C include files
290 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
292 C include files for alternate packet queueing; see
296 C include files for 802.11 wireless networking;
300 C include files for Internet standard protocols;
304 C include files for Internet protocol version 6;
308 kernel key-management service;
314 C include files for NFS (Network File System) version 2 and 3 (legacy)
316 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) headers
318 C include files for Berkeley service protocols
320 remote procedure calls;
324 definition of RPC service structures; see
330 system C include files (kernel data structures)
335 .\" .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
342 C include files for UFS (The U-word File System)
343 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
360 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
362 a.out archive libraries
364 shared libraries for compatibility
365 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
367 a.out backward compatibility libraries
370 standalone debug data for the kernel and base system libraries and binaries
372 DTrace library scripts
374 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
378 miscellaneous utility data files
380 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
391 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
393 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
395 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
397 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
399 utilities and filters for LP print system;
416 local executables, libraries, etc.
417 Also used as the default destination for the
422 the general layout sketched out by
430 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
436 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
441 ports collection; see
444 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
446 architecture-independent files
448 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
450 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
457 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
460 terms, proper names, and jargon
462 words from Webster's 2nd International
465 miscellaneous documentation;
466 source for most of the printed
472 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
474 Frequently Asked Questions
476 implementation notes for IPv6
478 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
483 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
485 License files for vendor supplied firmware files
487 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
491 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
493 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
498 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
501 various examples for users and programmers
503 firmware images loaded by userland programs
505 ASCII text files used by various games
507 known trusted and revoked keys
508 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
522 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
523 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
527 terminal characteristics database;
536 national language support files
538 data files for security policies such as
546 (dot) files for new accounts
548 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon
549 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
551 tree definition files for use with
557 files used by syscons;
560 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
568 console keyboard maps;
577 files necessary for the -sysroot compiler/linker argument to build non-native
579 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
589 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
590 .It Pa MACHINE.MACHINE_ARCH/
591 represent the binary ABI for these files.
603 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
608 localization support and utilities for
614 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
622 console keyboard maps;
628 .\" console screen maps
631 timezone configuration information;
641 .Bl -tag -width "kerberos5/" -compact
643 source code for files in /bin
645 utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
647 source code for contributed software
649 source code for contributed cryptography software
651 source code for files in
654 utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
656 source code for files in
659 build infrastructure for Kerberos version 5
661 source code for files in
666 source code for files in
669 files required to produce a
673 source code for files in
676 source code for files in
679 build directory for files in
685 boot loader source code
688 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
690 AMD64 architecture support
692 ARM architecture support
694 ARMv8 architecture support
700 CDDL-licensed optional sources, including ZFS
711 i386 (32 bit) architecture support
713 main part of the kernel
731 PowerPC/POWER architecture support
733 RISC-V architecture support
743 code shared by AMD64 and i386 architectures
746 support for experimental DIRDEPS_BUILD
748 source code for files in
751 tools used for maintenance and testing of
754 source code for files in
757 source code for files in
768 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
770 .Bl -tag -width "defaults/" -compact
772 system accounting files
774 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
776 execution accounting file;
782 timed command scheduling files;
786 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
788 directory containing job files
790 directory containing output spool files
794 miscellaneous backup files
796 miscellaneous cached files
798 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
805 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
814 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
822 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
824 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
827 for privilege separation
829 miscellaneous game status and score files
831 Kerberos server databases; see
834 miscellaneous system log files
836 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
850 system messages database;
854 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
859 file system quota information files
861 system information files describing various info about
862 system since it was booted
864 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
866 bhyve vm unix domain sockets
870 group for command connection sockets; see
873 database of current users;
886 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
888 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
890 undelivered submission mail queue;
894 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
896 undelivered mail queue;
900 line printer spooling directories
904 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
906 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
908 the directory where recovery files are stored
917 This manual page documents the default
919 file system layout, but
920 the actual hierarchy on a given system is defined at the system
921 administrator's discretion.
922 A well-maintained installation will include a customized version of
934 manual page appeared in