Linux / Unix - layout of operating system files

For 2023 (and 2024 ...) - we are now fully retired from IT training.
We have made many, many friends over 25 years of teaching about Python, Tcl, Perl, PHP, Lua, Java, C and C++ - and MySQL, Linux and Solaris/SunOS too. Our training notes are now very much out of date, but due to upward compatability most of our examples remain operational and even relevant ad you are welcome to make us if them "as seen" and at your own risk.

Lisa and I (Graham) now live in what was our training centre in Melksham - happy to meet with former delegates here - but do check ahead before coming round. We are far from inactive - rather, enjoying the times that we are retired but still healthy enough in mind and body to be active!

I am also active in many other area and still look after a lot of web sites - you can find an index ((here))

At the top level ..

Typically "read only"
bin - binaries - executable programs
sbin - system admin binaries - programs for the system / admin
lib - library files (needed by binaries and shared between them)
usr - the bulk of the operating system (the bit that is not needed to boot)

Typically "read write" by admin or system
dev - device files (how devices are handled)
etc - config files, startup files, etc
proc - "everything is a file" in 'nix - these are the current processes
var - read/write area for OS utilities / daemons

Open Season!
home - User's home directories and typically data areas
mnt - Mounts of discs from other computers (also media)
tmp - scratch area for anyone / everyone

In /usr - this is where parts that are NOT needed at boot up time are kept
bin - binaries - executable programs
sbin - system admin binaries - programs for the system / admin
lib - library files (needed by binaries and shared between them)
include - "Programmer's header files"
share - things common between architectures
etc - config files, startup files, etc
src - source
man - manual
local - local enhancements to OS - i.e. extra software you load (also /opt)

In /usr/local - this is where your own local additions are kept
bin - binaries - executable programs
sbin - system admin binaries - programs for the system / admin
lib - library files (needed by binaries and shared between them)
include - "Programmer's header files"
share - things common between architectures
etc - config files, startup files, etc
and others which are complete apps

In /usr/local/apache2 (for example) - this is within a particular open source product
bin - binaries - executable programs
lib - library files (needed by binaries and shared between them)
logs - log files
man - unix man pages
modules - extra code modules (similar to lib)
conf - configuration stuff
in this case ... web site at htdocs, icons, cgi-bin, manual etc

Ever wondered why the executables are mixed /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, /usr/local/bin, /usr/local/apache2/bin, /usr/local/java/bin and so on ... perhaps the table above helps explain it a bit!
(written 2007-11-20)

Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles

A162 - Web Application Deployment - Backups and File System Management
  [153] Linux - where to put swap space - (2004-12-16)
  [334] Symbolic links and hard links - (2005-06-02)
  [554] What backup is adequate? - (2006-01-04)
  [593] Finding where the disc space has gone - (2006-02-06)
  [703] Copying files and preserving ownership - (2006-04-28)
  [735] Boys will be boys, saved by Ubuntu - (2006-05-27)
  [754] tar, jar, war, ear, sar files - (2006-06-10)
  [1013] Copy multiple files - confusing error message from cp - (2006-12-30)
  [1023] Finding public writeable things on your linux file system - (2007-01-06)
  [1288] Linux run states, shell special commands, and directory structures - (2007-08-03)
  [1648] The tourists guide to Linux - (2008-05-20)
  [1765] Dialects of English and Unix - (2008-08-21)
  [1801] Will your backups work if you have to restore them? - (2008-09-18)
  [1893] Some Linux and Unix tips - (2008-11-18)
  [2299] How much space does my directory take - Linux - (2009-07-20)
  [4056] An overpractical test of our backup strategy! - (2013-03-30)
  [4063] Backups by crossover between network centres - setting up automatic scp transfers - (2013-04-13)
  [4115] More or less back - what happened to our server the other day - (2013-06-14)
  [4390] Checking MySQL database backups have worked (not failed) - (2015-01-10)
  [4400] Commenting out an echo killed my bash backup script - (2015-01-19)
  [4405] Backup procedures - via backup server - (2015-01-24)
  [4481] Extracting data from backups to restore selected rows from MySQL tables - (2015-05-01)

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Some other Articles

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Useful command or messy screen?
Linux / Unix - layout of operating system files
Copy and paste / cut and paste and other vi techniques
Above the fold with First Great Western
A little touring help during a business trip to England
Object Oriented Programming in Perl - Course
Market survey - to learn, to prove a point, or to sell your product?

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This is a page archived from The Horse's Mouth at http://www.wellho.net/horse/ - the diary and writings of Graham Ellis. Every attempt was made to provide current information at the time the page was written, but things do move forward in our business - new software releases, price changes, new techniques. Please check back via our main site for current courses, prices, versions, etc - any mention of a price in "The Horse's Mouth" cannot be taken as an offer to supply at that price.

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