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32 .\" @(#)hier.7 8.1 (Berkeley) 6/5/93
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 DTrace library scripts
397 OpenSSL (Cryptography/SSL toolkit) dynamically loadable engines
399 Private system libraries not for use by third-party programs.
400 ABI and API stability are not guaranteed.
404 miscellaneous utility data files
405 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
414 various prebuilt lint libraries;
420 system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)
421 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
423 utilities to manipulate a.out executables
425 utilities to manipulate ELF executables
427 utilities and filters for LP print system;
444 local executables, libraries, etc.
445 Also used as the default destination for the
450 the general layout sketched out by
461 .Pa local/share/ Ns Pc ,
464 .Pa share/doc/<port>/ Ns Pc ,
470 architecture-specific target tree produced by building the
476 ports collection (optional).
478 system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)
480 architecture-independent files
482 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa calendar/" -compact
484 a variety of pre-fab calendar files;
492 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
495 terms, proper names, and jargon
499 words from Webster's 2nd International
507 miscellaneous documentation;
508 source for most of the printed
514 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
516 Frequently Asked Questions
518 implementation notes for IPv6
520 documents pertaining to BIND (the Berkeley Internet Name Domain)
522 Spanish translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
527 Japanese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
529 License files for vendor supplied firmwares
531 HTML documents pertaining to ncurses;
535 HTML documents pertaining to the Network Time Protocol
539 UNIX Programmer's Supplementary Documents
541 Russian translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
543 UNIX System Manager's Manual
548 UNIX User's Supplementary Documents
550 Chinese translations of documents in /usr/share/doc
554 various examples for users and programmers
556 ASCII text files used by various games
558 device description file for device name
560 GNU Info hypertext system
562 known trusted and revoked keys.
563 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa keys/pkg/" -compact
578 data files used by mdocml
580 macros for use with the me macro package;
584 miscellaneous system-wide ASCII text files
585 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
589 terminal characteristics database;
598 national language support files;
602 data files for security policies such as
610 (dot) files for new accounts
612 MIBs, example files and tree definitions for the SNMP daemon.
613 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
615 Tree definition files for use with
621 files used by syscons;
624 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
632 console keyboard maps;
641 tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in
646 text processing macros;
652 localization support and utilities for
655 timezone configuration information;
663 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa scrnmaps/" -compact
671 console keyboard maps;
677 .\" console screen maps
681 third-party, and/or local source files
683 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa kerberos5/" -compact
685 source code for files in /bin
687 Utilities covered by the Common Development and Distribution License
689 source code for contributed software
691 source code for contributed cryptography software
693 source code for files in
696 source code for files in
699 Utilities covered by the GNU General Public License
701 source code for files in
704 build infrastructure for kerberos version 5
706 source code for files in
709 source code for files in
712 files required to produce a
716 source code for files in
719 build directory for files in
727 tools used for maintenance and testing of
730 source code for files in
733 source code for files in
746 multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files
748 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
750 system accounting files
752 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
754 execution accounting file;
760 timed command scheduling files;
763 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
765 directory containing job files
767 directory containing output spool files
771 miscellaneous backup files
773 miscellaneous cached files
774 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa pkg/" -compact
781 default directory to store kernel crash dumps; see
789 .Bl -tag -width ".Pa preserve/" -compact
797 miscellaneous automatically generated system-specific database files
799 empty directory for use by programs that need a specifically empty directory.
802 for privilege separation.
804 miscellaneous game status and score files
806 kerberos server databases; see
809 miscellaneous system log files
811 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
825 system messages database;
829 temporary home of files preserved after an accidental death
834 file system quota information files
836 system information files describing various info about
837 system since it was booted
839 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
843 group for command connection sockets; see
846 database of current users;
859 miscellaneous printer and mail system spooling directories
861 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
863 undelivered submission mail queue;
867 commonly ~ftp; the anonymous ftp root directory
869 undelivered mail queue;
873 line printer spooling directories
877 temporary files that are kept between system reboots
878 .Bl -tag -width Fl -compact
880 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