Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS)

Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) is the standard for file management in most Unix/Linux systems. It is updated and maintained by the Linux corporation. The most recent version is FHS 3.0 released in June 2015. It describes the permissions and locations for various file types.

The FHS is a very detailed, highly documented standard. Below is the table explaining the FHS:

DirectoryDescription
/Root directory. Only the root user can manipulate this directory
/binContains important binary files for all users.
/bootContains boot loader files.
/devContains device files attached to the system.
/etcContains essential configuration files such as start-up/shutdown scripts for applications.
/homeContains users’ files such as Downloads,Images,Videos,etc.
/libContains libraries required for binaries in /bin and /sbin directories.
/mediaContains files for mounted devices such as CD-ROM.
/mntContains files for temporarily mounted file systems.
/optContains files for optional software.
/sbinContains essential system binary files.
/srvContains server files.
/tmpContains temporary files which may be erased after reboot.
/usrContains files that are read-only in nature.
/varContains variable files. The contents of these files are expected to change during normal system operation.

That’s all in this article! If you have any questions and/or suggestions, do write to us or comment below.

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