The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) defines the main directories and their contents in Linux and other Unix computer operating systems.

All files and directories appear under the root directory /, even if stored on different physical devices. Examples of directories defined by the FHS include:

  • /bin/ Essential command binaries for all users (cat, ls, cp...)
  • /dev/ Essential devices
  • /home/ Users' home directories
  • /etc/ System-wide configuration files
  • /lib/ Libraries essential for the binaries in /bin and /sbin
  • /var/ Variable files, such as logs and temporary files
  • /opt/ Static application software packages
  • /sbin/ Essential superuser binaries (init, route, ifup..)
  • /proc/ Virtual filesystem documenting kernel status, mostly text files (uptime, network...)
  • /mnt/ Temporarily mounted filesystems

External sites

Home of the FHS standard