Linux Directory Structure

BCA-I yr

Operating System

Minor-II

Asst.Prof.Manju Kumawat

Unlike Windows, where each drive (C:, D:) stands on its own, Linux uses a single-rooted tree structure, with everything starting from the root directory /.

1. / – Root

• The top-level directory.
• Everything in Linux begins here.
• Not to be confused with /root, which is the home directory of the root user.

2. /bin – Essential User Binaries

• Contains basic Linux commands like ls, cp, mv, cat.
• These are essential programs required during system boot and in single-user mode.

3. /sbin – System Binaries

• Contains binaries for system administration, mostly used by root.
• Examples: fsck, reboot, iptables.

4. /etc – Configuration Files

• Contains all system-wide configuration files.
• Files like /etc/passwd, /etc/fstab, /etc/hosts live here.

5. /dev – Device Files

• Represents devices as files (e.g., hard drives: /dev/sda, terminals: /dev/tty).
• These are interface files to the system's hardware.

6. /proc – Process Info

• A virtual filesystem showing runtime system info and kernel parameters.
• Example: /proc/cpuinfo shows processor info.

7. /var – Variable Files

• Stores variable data like logs, mail, spool files.
• Example: /var/log/syslog or /var/log/messages.

8. /tmp – Temporary Files

• Temporary storage for applications.
• Often cleared on reboot.

9. /usr – User Programs

• Contains user-installed software and libraries.
• Subfolders like /usr/bin, /usr/lib, and /usr/share.

10. /home – User Home Directories

• Each non-root user has their own folder inside /home.
• E.g., /home/ec2-user, /home/kiran

11. /root – Root User's Home

• Home directory for the superuser (root).
• Separate from /home.

12. /lib, /lib64 – Shared Libraries

• Contains essential libraries needed by /bin and /sbin programs.

13. /opt – Optional Software

• Used for installing add-on or third-party software.

14. /mnt and /media – Mount Points

• Temporary mount points for external storage like USB drives or network shares.

15. /boot – Boot Loader Files

• Contains the Linux kernel, initial RAM disk, and bootloader configuration (e.g., grub.cfg).