Linux filesystem hierarchy
Explore the Linux directory structure and understand where system files, user files, and applications are stored.
Linux Filesystem Hierarchy
Linux organizes files into a hierarchical filesystem that begins at the root directory "/".
Important directories
Directory| Purpose
"/"| Root of the filesystem
"/home"| User home directories
"/root"| Root user's home
"/etc"| System configuration
"/var"| Variable data and logs
"/tmp"| Temporary files
"/usr"| User applications and utilities
"/bin"| Essential command binaries
"/dev"| Device files
"/proc"| Process and kernel information
Explore the filesystem
ls /
ls /home
ls /etc
ls /var
Absolute and relative paths
An absolute path begins from "/".
Example:
/home/student/Documents
A relative path is interpreted from the current directory.
Special path symbols:
.
..
~
"." means current directory.
".." means parent directory.
"~" means your home directory.
Practical exercise
Explore at least five directories.
Write down what each directory contains and why it exists.
Knowledge check
- What is the root directory?
- Where are system configuration files stored?
- What does ".." mean?