When a user logs in to a Linux system, the user is taken to
their home directory (folder) - a place where their personal work is kept in files and a further structure of sub-directories as appropriate. Configuration files are also kept in their home directory - files like
.my.cnf for their MySQL defaults and
.bashrc for commands run automatically as they open a shell.
Confusingly, there's also a directory called /home - a.k.a.
the home directory created when Linux is installed - that is intended as the parent directory for all user's home directorys.
For example, if I have a login account "graham" on a Linux box, in all probability the system administrator will have put
my home directory at /home/graham, and
the home directory will be just /home.
Under OS X on the Mac, user accounts are placed into a directory called /Users rather than /home - so that my home directory would be /Users/graham. I found this odd when I first used it, but it certainly makes for a much more understandable system when writing practical exercises for a course! (written 2006-05-06)
Associated topics are indexed as below, or enter http://melksh.am/nnnn for individual articles
A101 - Web Application Deployment - Linux -An Introduction For Users [73] vi - full circle - (2004-10-04)
[74] pushd and popd - (2004-10-05)
[152] Aladdin, or careful what you wish. - (2004-12-15)
[249] An easy way out - (2005-03-17)
[430] Linux commands - some basics - (2005-08-31)
[431] File permissions of Linux and Unix systems - (2005-08-31)
[593] Finding where the disc space has gone - (2006-02-06)
[659] Web Application Components - (2006-03-28)
[679] More or less on the edge of the page - (2006-04-11)
[703] Copying files and preserving ownership - (2006-04-28)
[710] Linux training Glasgow, Python programming course Dundee - (2006-05-05)
[749] Cottage industry or production line data handling methods - (2006-06-07)
[984] Cardinal numbers and magic numbers - (2006-12-14)
[1012] Moving files between Windows / DOS and Linux / Unix - (2006-12-30)
[1013] Copy multiple files - confusing error message from cp - (2006-12-30)
[1068] ls -l report, Linux / Unix - types and permssions - (2007-02-06)
[1259] Where am I and how did I get here? - (2007-07-05)
[1287] Work and play at Well House Manor - Football and Shell Shortcuts - (2007-08-02)
[1288] Linux run states, shell special commands, and directory structures - (2007-08-03)
[1366] awk - a powerful data extraction and manipulation tool - (2007-09-25)
[1408] Wireless hotel tips - FTP and Skype connections failing - (2007-10-26)
[1438] Copy and paste / cut and paste and other vi techniques - (2007-11-20)
[1527] Selecting file names in a shell - one word or another - (2008-02-02)
[1651] ls command - favourite options - (2008-05-23)
[1764] Yank and Push - copy and move in vi - (2008-08-21)
[1803] FTP passive mode - a sometimes cure for upload hangs - (2008-09-20)
[1893] Some Linux and Unix tips - (2008-11-18)
[1897] Keeping on an even keel - (2008-11-21)
[1902] sstrwxrwxrwx - Unix and Linux file permissions - (2008-11-23)
[1904] Ruby, Perl, Linux, MySQL - some training notes - (2008-11-23)
[2201] Running straight from the jar, but not from a tar - (2009-05-26)
[2203] Always use su with minus. And where do programs come from? - (2009-05-27)
[2299] How much space does my directory take - Linux - (2009-07-20)
[2300] What does x on a linux directory mean? - (2009-07-21)
[2479] Accidentally typed ci rather than vi? - (2009-10-27)
[2494] Making Linux Politically correct - (2009-11-06)
[2636] Linux - useful tips including history and file name completion - (2010-02-15)
[2831] Recording (a macro) in vi - (2010-06-27)
[3179] Oops - I typed ci not vi, and have lost my file ... - (2011-02-21)
[3256] Displaying a directory or file system tree - Linux - (2011-04-22)
[3791] The Kernel, Shells and Daemons. Greek Gods in computing - (2012-07-01)
[3819] Packing a tar, jar or war file - best practise - (2012-07-26)
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