diff options
Diffstat (limited to 'man7/hier.7')
| -rw-r--r-- | man7/hier.7 | 98 |
1 files changed, 61 insertions, 37 deletions
diff --git a/man7/hier.7 b/man7/hier.7 index 7bb0323f2d..0ffe0428ff 100644 --- a/man7/hier.7 +++ b/man7/hier.7 @@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ .\" manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the .\" entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a .\" permission notice identical to this one. -.\" +.\" .\" Since the Linux kernel and libraries are constantly changing, this .\" manual page may be incorrect or out-of-date. The author(s) assume no .\" responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from @@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ .\" have taken the same level of care in the production of this manual, .\" which is licensed free of charge, as they might when working .\" professionally. -.\" +.\" .\" Formatted or processed versions of this manual, if unaccompanied by .\" the source, must acknowledge the copyright and authors of this work. .\" License. @@ -33,22 +33,26 @@ hier \- Description of the file system hierarchy A typical Linux system has, among others, the following directories: .TP .I / -This is the root directory. This is where the whole tree starts. +This is the root directory. +This is where the whole tree starts. .TP .I /bin This directory contains executable programs which are needed in single user mode and to bring the system up or repair it. .TP .I /boot -Contains static files for the boot loader. This directory only holds -the files which are needed during the boot process. The map installer +Contains static files for the boot loader. +This directory only holds +the files which are needed during the boot process. +The map installer and configuration files should go to .I /sbin and .IR /etc . .TP .I /dev -Special or device files, which refer to physical devices. See +Special or device files, which refer to physical devices. +See .BR mknod (1). .TP .I /dos @@ -56,7 +60,8 @@ If both MS\-DOS and Linux are run on one computer, this is a typical place to mount a DOS file system. .TP .I /etc -Contains configuration files which are local to the machine. Some +Contains configuration files which are local to the machine. +Some larger software packages, like X11, can have their own subdirectories below .IR /etc . @@ -69,7 +74,7 @@ and you may have links for these files to .TP .I /etc/opt Host-specific configuration files for add-on applications installed -in +in .IR /opt . .TP .I /etc/sgml @@ -84,7 +89,8 @@ Configuration files for the X11 window system (optional). .TP .I /home On machines with home directories for users, these are usually beneath -this directory, directly or not. The structure of this directory +this directory, directly or not. +The structure of this directory depends on local administration decisions. .TP .I /lib @@ -101,7 +107,8 @@ This directory should contain add-on packages that contain static files. This is a mount point for the .I proc filesystem, which provides information about running processes and -the kernel. This pseudo-file system is described in more detail in +the kernel. +This pseudo-file system is described in more detail in .BR proc (5). .TP .I /root @@ -118,8 +125,8 @@ This directory contains temporary files which may be deleted with no notice, such as by a regular job or at system boot up. .TP .I /usr -This directory is usually mounted from a separate partition. It -should hold only sharable, read-only data, so that it can be mounted +This directory is usually mounted from a separate partition. +It should hold only sharable, read-only data, so that it can be mounted by various machines running Linux. .TP .I /usr/X11R6 @@ -136,18 +143,20 @@ Data files associated with the X\-Windows system. .TP .I /usr/X11R6/lib/X11 These contain miscellaneous files needed to run X; Often, there is a -symbolic link from +symbolic link from .I /usr/lib/X11 to this directory. .TP .I /usr/X11R6/include/X11 Contains include files needed for compiling programs using the X11 -window system. Often, there is a symbolic link from +window system. +Often, there is a symbolic link from .I /usr/include/X11 to this directory. .TP .I /usr/bin -This is the primary directory for executable programs. Most programs +This is the primary directory for executable programs. +Most programs executed by normal users which are not needed for booting or for repairing the system and which are not installed locally should be placed in this directory. @@ -167,10 +176,12 @@ Replaced by .TP .I /usr/etc Site-wide configuration files to be shared between several machines -may be stored in this directory. However, commands should always +may be stored in this directory. +However, commands should always reference those files using the .I /etc -directory. Links from files in +directory. +Links from files in .I /etc should point to the appropriate files in .IR /usr/etc . @@ -182,12 +193,14 @@ Binaries for games and educational programs (optional). Include files for the C compiler. .TP .I /usr/include/X11 -Include files for the C compiler and the X\-Windows system. This is +Include files for the C compiler and the X\-Windows system. +This is usually a symbolic link to .IR /usr/X11R6/include/X11 . .TP .I /usr/include/asm -Include files which declare some assembler functions. This used to be a +Include files which declare some assembler functions. +This used to be a symbolic link to .IR /usr/src/linux/include/asm . .TP @@ -198,14 +211,17 @@ system release and used to be a symbolic link to to get at operating system specific information. (Note that one should have include files there that work correctly with -the current libc and in user space. However, Linux kernel source is not +the current libc and in user space. +However, Linux kernel source is not designed to be used with user programs and does not know anything -about the libc you are using. It is very likely that things will break +about the libc you are using. +It is very likely that things will break if you let .I /usr/include/asm and .I /usr/include/linux -point at a random kernel tree. Debian systems don't do this +point at a random kernel tree. +Debian systems don't do this and use headers from a known good kernel version, provided in the libc*-dev package.) .TP @@ -214,12 +230,14 @@ Include files to use with the GNU C++ compiler. .TP .I /usr/lib Object libraries, including dynamic libraries, plus some executables -which usually are not invoked directly. More complicated programs may +which usually are not invoked directly. +More complicated programs may have whole subdirectories there. .TP .I /usr/lib/X11 The usual place for data files associated with X programs, and -configuration files for the X system itself. On Linux, it usually is +configuration files for the X system itself. +On Linux, it usually is a symbolic link to .IR /usr/X11R6/lib/X11 . .TP @@ -231,7 +249,7 @@ contains executables and include files for the GNU C compiler, Files for the GNU groff document formatting system. .TP .I /usr/lib/uucp -Files for +Files for .BR uucp (1). .TP .I /usr/local @@ -272,7 +290,7 @@ of the same OS. Source code for locally installed software. .TP .I /usr/man -Replaced by +Replaced by .IR /usr/share/man . .TP .I /usr/sbin @@ -293,7 +311,7 @@ or .TP .I /usr/share/dict Contains the word lists used by spell checkers. -.TP +.TP .I /usr/share/doc Documentation about installed programs. .TP @@ -311,8 +329,9 @@ Locale information goes here. Manual pages go here in subdirectories according to the man page sections. .TP .I /usr/share/man/<locale>/man[1\-9] -These directories contain manual pages for the specific locale in source code -form. Systems which use a unique language and code set for all manual pages +These directories contain manual pages for the +specific locale in source code form. +Systems which use a unique language and code set for all manual pages may omit the <locale> substring. .TP .I /usr/share/misc @@ -336,7 +355,8 @@ Files for timezone information. .TP .I /usr/src Source files for different parts of the system, included with some packages -for reference purposes. Don't work here with your own projects, as files +for reference purposes. +Don't work here with your own projects, as files below /usr should be read-only except when installing software. .TP .I /usr/src/linux @@ -345,7 +365,8 @@ Some distributions put here the source for the default kernel they ship. You should probably use another directory when building your own kernel. .TP .I /usr/tmp -Obsolete. This should be a link +Obsolete. +This should be a link to .IR /var/tmp . This link is present only for compatibility reasons and shouldn't be used. @@ -368,7 +389,8 @@ Data cached for programs. .TP .IR /var/catman/cat[1\-9] " or " /var/cache/man/cat[1\-9] These directories contain preformatted manual pages according to their -man page section. (The use of preformatted manual pages is deprecated.) +man page section. +(The use of preformatted manual pages is deprecated.) .TP .I /var/cron Reserved for historical reasons. @@ -381,7 +403,8 @@ Variable data for .IR /usr/local . .TP .I /var/lock -Lock files are placed in this directory. The naming convention for +Lock files are placed in this directory. +The naming convention for device lock files is .I LCK..<device> where @@ -395,11 +418,12 @@ character. Miscellaneous log files. .TP .I /var/opt -Variable data for +Variable data for .IR /opt . .TP .I /var/mail -Users' mailboxes. Replaces +Users' mailboxes. +Replaces .IR /var/spool/mail . .TP .I /var/msgs @@ -429,7 +453,7 @@ Spooled jobs for Spooled files for printing. .TP .I /var/spool/mail -Replaced by +Replaced by .IR /var/mail . .TP .I /var/spool/mqueue @@ -439,7 +463,7 @@ Queued outgoing mail. Spool directory for news. .TP .I /var/spool/rwho -Spooled files for +Spooled files for .BR rwhod (8). .TP .I /var/spool/smail |
