Linux Directory Structure
1. Temporary & Volatile Directories
| Directory | Description | Example/Use |
|---|---|---|
/tmp |
Temporary files, cleared on reboot | /tmp/session.tmp |
/var/tmp |
Temporary files preserved across reboots | /var/tmp/install.log |
/run |
Holds runtime data for processes. | /run/nginx.pid |
/var/run |
Older path for runtime info (symlinked to /run) |
/var/run/sshd.pid |
2. User & Application-Specific Directories
| Directory | Description | Example/Use |
|---|---|---|
/home |
Home directories for users | /home/alice, /home/bob |
/root |
Home directory of the root user | /root |
/opt |
Optional software packages | /opt/eclipse |
/usr |
User programs, libraries, and documentation | /usr/bin, /usr/lib, /usr/share |
/srv |
Data for services (web, FTP) | /srv/www, /srv/ftp |
3. Important System Directories
| Directory | Description | Example/Use |
|---|---|---|
/ |
Root directory, starting point of the filesystem | /bin, /etc, /home |
/bin |
Essential user binaries | ls, cp, mv |
/sbin |
System binaries for admin/root | ifconfig, shutdown |
/lib |
Shared libraries for binaries | /lib/libc.so.6 |
/etc |
Store System configuration files | /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts |
/boot |
Bootloader and kernel files | /boot/vmlinuz, /boot/grub |
4. Device & Virtual Filesystems
| Directory | Description | Example/Use |
|---|---|---|
/dev |
Device files representing hardware | /dev/sda, /dev/tty |
/proc |
Virtual filesystem for processes and system info | /proc/cpuinfo, /proc/meminfo |
/sys |
Kernel and system info | /sys/class/net/eth0 |
5. Mount Points*
| Directory | Description | Example/Use |
|---|---|---|
/mnt |
Temporary mount points | /mnt/usb, /mnt/disk1 |
/media |
Mount points for removable media | /media/usbdrive |