If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
- /bin – binary applications (most of your executable files)
- /boot – files required to boot (such as the kernel, etc)
- /dev – your devices (everything from drives to displays)
- /etc – just about every configuration file for your system
- /etc/profile.d – contains scripts that are run by /etc/profile upon login.
- /etc/rc.d – contains a number of shell scripts that are run on bootup at different run levels. There is also typically an rc.inet1 script to set up networking (in Slackwar), an rc.modules script to load modular device drivers, and an rc.local script that can be edited to run commands desired by the administrator, along the lines of autoexec.bat in DOS.
- /etc/rc.d/init.d – contains most of the initialization scripts themselves on an rpm-based system.
- /etc/rc.d/rc*.d – where “*” is a number corresponding to the default run level. Contains files for services to be started and stopped at that run level. On rpm-based systems, these files are symbolic links to the initialization scripts themselves, which are in /etc/rc.d/init.d.
- /etc/skel – directory containing several example or skeleton initialization shells. Often contains subdirectories and files used to populate a new user’s home directory.
- /etc/X11 – configuration files for the X Window system
- /home – locally stored user files and folders
- /lib – system libraries (similar to Program Files)
- /lost+found – lost and found for lost files
- /media – mounted (or loaded) devices such as cdroms, digital cameras, etc.
- /mnt – mounted file systems
- /opt – location for “optionally” installed programs
- /proc – dynamic directory including information about and listing of processes
- /root – “home” folder for the root user
- /sbin – system-only binaries (see /bin)
- /sys – contains information about the system
- /tmp – temporary files
- /usr – applications mainly for regular users
- /var – mainly logs, databases, etc.
- /usr/local/bin – the place to put your own programs. They will not be overwritten with upgrades.
- /usr/share/doc – documentation.
Are these all partitions? I mean, is very main directory a partition? I’m new to ubuntu. In fact, I have installed it on my conputer’s second hard disk just two days ago.
these are not partitions all these are directories in side a partition
For example in Windows your usb flash drive will be mounted as “E:\”.
In Linux it will be mounted as e.g. “/media/USBVOLUME/”.
But it doesn’t matter too much in normal use, you just click on the drive icon.
Any other partitions (such as a windows partition) or file systems are found in the /media or /mnt directory and can be browsed as Linux natively handle many partition formats.
I am having a bit of trouble. I just switched to Ubuntu yesteday from Windows. Have zero experience with Linux. I like the OS but something is bugging and hopefully you can help.
I am installing programs from the Synaptic Package Manager (such as ushare and fiaif). When I look in Applications, none of them are there. I m trying to locate them in the folders in FILESYSTEM/BIN and I can’t find any of them. I did LOCATE in the Terminal, but it couldn’t find them either. What am I doing wrong and where could all the prorams I installed be?
Mike, you can probably see all folders containing your installed programs by switching the ’show hidden files’ to ON. Windows users are often frustrated when they can not easily find the installed program folders.