CHAPTER 4 The UNIX File System

4.4 Names & contents of important UNIX directories

Unix Directories

Directory	Description	SunOS 4.1.X	SunOS 5.X	IRIX 5.X	Ultrix 4.X	Digital UNIX
/	root - kernel	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/sbin	files required to start the system and scripts to control the boot process	yes, but scripts are in /etc	yes	yes	no	yes
/etc	files required to boot the system and communicate, and scripts to control the boot process	yes	yes, but some scripts are in /sbin	yes	yes	yes
/etc/config	system configuration option files	no	no	yes	no	no
/etc/cron.d	cron access files and FIFO	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/default	default system configuration	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/dfs	distributed file sharing configuration	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/fs	static file system specific mount commands	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/fdmns	file domain names and devices, symbolic links to the file volumes	no	no	no	no	yes
/etc/inet	internet services configuration	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/init.d	internet service scripts run by init	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/lib	shared libraries required for boot	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/lp	line printer system configuration	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/mail	mail configuration	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/net	configuration for transport-independent network services	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/opt	optional software package configuration files	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/rc#.d	operations performed when entering run level # (S,0,1,2,3)	no	yes	yes	no	no
/etc/saf	service access facility configuration	no	yes	no	no	no
/etc/security /etc/sec	security audit configuration "	no no	yes no	no no	no yes	no yes
/usr	directories of system files	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/usr/bin	system binary files	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/usr/etc	further system communication and administration programs	yes	no	yes	yes	no
/usr/sbin	"	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/usr/lib	libraries of object files, sendmail	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/usr/4lib	SunOS 4.1 libraries required for binary compatibility	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/5bin	System V binaries	yes	no	no	no	no
/usr/5include	System V include files	yes	no	no	no	no
/usr/5lib	System V libraries	yes	no	no	no	no
/usr/aset	automated security enhancement tool files and programs	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/ucb	BSD binaries	yes	yes	no	yes	yes
/usr/bsd	"	no	no	yes	no	no
/usr/ccs	compiler support systems	no	yes	no	no	yes
/usr/dt	CDE desktop hierarchy	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/fs	file system dependent modules	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/lp	line printer databases and programs	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/netsvc	network service utilities	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/nfs	NFS daemons and programs	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/nis	NIS+ programs and setup scripts	no	yes	no	no	no
/usr/lib/saf	SAF daemons and programs	no	yes	no	no	no
/var	directories for administrative programs and logs	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/var/adm	system log and account files	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/var/log	system log files	yes	yes	no	no	no
/var/spool/mail	mail spool directory	yes	no	no	yes	yes
/var/mail	mail spool directory	no	yes	yes	no	no
/var/yp	NIS tables and Makefile for updating NIS	yes	no	yes	yes	yes
/var/nis	NIS+ tables	no	yes	no	no	no
/var/spool	directories for cron, logs, etc.	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/var/sadm	databases maintained by package administration utilities	no	yes	no	no	no
/var/inst	databases maintained by inst utility	no	no	yes	no	no
/var/saf	service access facility log and account files	no	yes	no	no	no
/dev	devices directory	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/dev/dsk	block disk devices directory	no	yes	yes	no	no
/dev/rdsk	raw disk devices directory	no	yes	yes	no	no
/dev/pts	pseudo terminal (pty) devices directory	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/dev/rmt	raw tape devices directory	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/dev/term	terminal devices directory	no	yes	no	no	no
/dev/sad	entry points for STREAMS administrative drivers	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/devices	physical devices directory	no	yes	no	no	no
/home /usr/people /usr/users	user directories	yes	yes	no yes	no no yes	yes
/tftpboot /usr/local/boot	client boot programs	yes	yes	no yes	no	no
/tmp	temporary files	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes
/usr/local	locally installed files	optional	optional	optional	optional	optional
/opt	locally installed packages and files	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/kernel	contains the kernel and drivers for the kernel	no	yes	no	no	no
/platform	hardware specific files for kernel support	no	>=2.5	no	no	no
/stand	standalone environment programs, can be accessed from the PROM	no	no	yes	no	no
/proc	for process access file system, it provides access to all current processes	no	yes	yes	no	yes
/sys	object files to reconfigure the kernel	yes	no	no	yes	yes
/vol	vold mount points	no	yes	no	no	no