Which directory is the top of the systems file system hierarchy?
Brief: This article gives a breakdown of the Linux File System/directory structure, some of the critical files, their usability, and their location. Show
You must have probably heard that everything is considered a file in UNIX and UNIX derivatives such as Linux. If not a file, then it must be a running process. There are three broad categories of files in Linux.
Linux Directory Structure DiagramA standard Linux distribution follows the directory structure as provided below with Diagram and explanation. Linux Directory StructureEach of the above directories (which is a file, in the first place) contains important information, required for booting to device drivers, configuration files, etc. Describing briefly the purpose of each directory, we are starting hierarchically. / DirectoryThe root directory, denoted by a single forward slash NOTE: The root
directory /boot DirectoryThis is one of the most vital directories in a Linux system. As the name infers, the boot directory contains Linux boot files such as the bootloader, the kernel, and its associated files. Files such as ‘vmlinuz‘ represent the compressed image of the Linux kernel. Boot Directory in Linux/etc DirectoryThe /etc directory contains system configuration files for all the services, scripts, and third-party applications that are installed. This directory is considered the nerve center of the Linux system. /home DirectoryThe /home directory is a directory that contains a user’s personal folders and files. On a graphical Linux system, the home directory, by default, contains folders such as Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Videos, and Public. In addition, the /home directory contains personal configuration files which are prefixed with a dot /root DirectoryThe /root directory is the home directory for the root user, which is also referred to as the root user’s home directory (and not as the root The root account also referred to as the superuser, administrative user, system administrator or just the root user has all the access to commands and system files in Linux. Root User Directory in Linux/opt DirectoryThe /opt directory is a directory that is reserved for add-on packages and third-party software applications that are not included by default in the system’s official repositories. For example, when you install applications such as Skype, Discord, Spotify, and Java, to mention a few, they get stored in the /opt directory. /opt Directory in Linux/dev DirectoryThe /dev directory contains device files or special files for devices that are attached to the system such as the hard drive, keyboard, and mouse. As mentioned, these are not regular that a user can read and write to. These are abstractions of standard devices that applications on your system interact with through input and output system calls. /dev Directory in Linux/var DirectoryThe /var directory stores system-generated variable files, which include log files, caches, and spool files just to mention a few. /bin DirectoryThe /bin directory contains user binaries, executable programs, and common system commands that are used by all users in the system. These include ls, pwd, cat, mkdir, cd, mv, cp, du, df, tar, rpm, wc, history, etc. /bin Directory in Linux/sbin DirectoryThe /sbin directory contains executable files, utilities, and system commands that are reserved for the root user or a user with root privileges. Such commands include halt, reboot, mkfs, fsck, fdisk, halt, iptables, ifconfig, ip, swapon, etc. /sbin Directory in Linux/usr DirectoryThe /usr directory ranks as one of the most important directories due to the enormous amount of data it holds. The directory contains system-wide read-only files. These include libraries, user binaries and their documentation, programs, and system utilities. /usr Directory in Linux/proc DirectoryThe /proc directory is somewhat of a strange directory. It is a virtual or pseudo filesystem that contains vital information about running processes. It is considered the control and information center for the Linux kernel. The filesystem is created on the fly upon system startup and is destroyed once the system is powered off. /proc Directory in Linux/mnt DirectoryThe /mnt directory along with its subdirectories is a directory intended to be used as a temporary mount point for mounting storage devices such as Hard disk drives, USB drives, and CDROMs. mnt Directory in Linux/sys DirectoryThe /sys is a virtual file system that contains a set of virtual files that provide an interface to the Linux kernel. /sys Directory in Linux/media DirectoryThe /media directory is a directory where the system mounts removable media such as USB drives. /media Directory in Linux/run DirectoryThe /run directory is a temporary filesystem that contains volatile runtime data that shows the system has since it was booted. Files under the /run directory must be deleted (removed or truncated as convenient) at the start of the boot process. /tmp DirectoryThe /tmp directory is a directory that stores temporary files and many programs use this directory to create lock files and keep the temporary storage of data. Do not delete files under the/tmp directory unless you know exactly what you are doing! Many of these files are critical for presently running programs and removing them may affect a system crash. /tmp Directory in Linux/lib DirectoryThe /lib directory stores all the essential standard libraries required by user binaries in the /bin directory. /lib Directory in Linux/lost+found DirectoryThe lost+found directory is installed during the installation of Linux, useful for recovering files that may be broken due to unexpected shut-down. /srv DirectoryThe /srv directory is the service directory and is abbreviated as ‘srv‘. This directory contains server-specific and service-related files. Exploring Important file, their location, and their UsabilityLinux is a complex system that requires a more complex and efficient way to start, stop, maintain and reboot a system, unlike Windows. There is a well-defined configuration file, binaries, man pages, info files, etc. for every process in Linux. In addition to the major directories, here is a list of some of the prominent files and directories and their uses.
That’s all for now. Keep connected to Tecmint for any News and post related to Linux and Foss world. Stay healthy and Don’t forget to give your valuable comments in the comment section. What is the top directory of the file system?In a computer file system, and primarily used in the Unix and Unix-like operating systems, the root directory is the first or top-most directory in a hierarchy. It can be likened to the trunk of a tree, as the starting point where all branches originate from.
Which folder is the top most folder in the Linux file system hierarchy?The base of the Linux/Unix file system hierarchy begins at the root and everything starts with the root directory.
What directory is the first or top most directory in a hierarchy?Directory Hierarchy
At the top of the hierarchy is the “root” directory, symbolized by “ / ”. In the following example, Figure 3–1, each directory in the file system contains many subdirectories.
What is the top directory hierarchy of a Unix file system?Files in Unix System are organized into multi-level hierarchy structure known as a directory tree. At the very top of the file system is a directory called “root” which is represented by a “/”. All other files are “descendants” of root.
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