/bin
Essential user commands needed for booting and basic operation, such as ls, cp, and sh. Often linked into /usr/bin on modern systems.
Filesystem quick reference
What lives under /?
The root directory is the starting point of a Linux filesystem. Every file, device, configuration, and mounted volume appears somewhere beneath it.
/ ├── bin essential commands ├── boot boot loader and kernel ├── dev device files ├── etc system configuration ├── home user directories ├── proc process and kernel view ├── usr installed programs and data └── var changing system data
Directory reference
Common locations defined by Unix convention and the FHS.
/boot
Files used during startup, including Linux kernels, initial RAM filesystems, and boot-loader configuration.
/dev
Special files representing hardware and virtual devices. Examples include disks, terminals, random-number sources, and null devices.
/etc
Host-specific system configuration. Service settings, account databases, network configuration, and startup definitions commonly live here.
/home
Personal directories for regular users. Each user normally owns a subdirectory containing documents and per-user configuration.
/lib and /lib64
Essential shared libraries and kernel modules. These paths are frequently links to corresponding locations below /usr.
/media
Automatic mount points for removable media such as USB drives, optical discs, and portable storage devices.
/mnt
A conventional location for temporary, manually mounted filesystems. Administrators often create task-specific subdirectories here.
/opt
Optional, self-contained application packages. Third-party software may keep its binaries, libraries, and static data together here.
/proc
A virtual filesystem exposing processes and kernel state. Its files are generated by the kernel rather than stored on disk.
/root
The home directory of the administrative root account. It is separate from /home so it can remain available during recovery.
/run
Volatile runtime state created since boot, including PID files, sockets, locks, and transient service data. It is usually memory-backed.
/sbin
Essential system-administration commands. On merged-/usr systems, this path commonly links to /usr/sbin.
/srv
Data served by this machine, such as content belonging to web, FTP, or repository services.
/sys
A virtual interface to devices, drivers, and kernel subsystems. Administrators can inspect—and sometimes tune—kernel-managed objects here.
/tmp
Short-lived temporary files available to applications and users. Its contents may be cleared automatically or during reboot.
/usr
The main hierarchy for installed programs, shared libraries, documentation, and architecture-independent application data.
/var
Data that changes as the system runs: logs, caches, queues, databases, package metadata, and web content are common examples.
/lost+found
A recovery directory created on some Linux filesystems. Filesystem checks may place recovered but disconnected files here.
Paths are case-sensitive
/home and /Home are different paths. Most conventional system directory names are lowercase.
Hidden files begin with a dot
Use ls -la to include entries such as .profile and .config in a directory listing.
Layouts can vary
Distribution, container, embedded, and immutable systems may omit directories or use symbolic links between them.