Every operating system has a method of storing data in files and directories
so that it can keep track of additions, modifications, and other changes.
In Linux, every file is stored in a directory. Directories can also
contain directories; these subdirectories can
also contain files and other subdirectories.
You might think of the file system as a tree-like structure, in which
directories "branch off." Those directories may contain, or be the
"parent" of, other directories which may hold files and directories of
their own.
There would not be a tree without a root, and the same is true for the
Linux file system. No matter how far away the directories branch, everything is
connected to the root directory, which is represented as a single forward slash
(/).
 | Tip |
|---|
| | Red Hat Linux uses the term root in several different
ways, which might be confusing to new users. There is the root account
(the superuser, who has permission to do anything), the root account's
home directory (/root) and the root directory for
the entire file system (/). When you are speaking
to someone and using the term root, be sure you
know which root you are talking about.
|
Unless you are a system administrator, you probably do not have
permission to write to the files and directories outside of your home
directory. Certain directories are reserved for specific purposes. For
example, /home is the default location for
users' home directories.
Users that are not system administrators might find the following
directories useful:
/home — Default location for users'
home directories. For example, a user with the username
foo has the home directory
/home/foo.
/usr/share/doc — Location of
documentation for installed packages. For example, the documentation
for the dateconfig software package is located in
/usr/share/doc/dateconfig-<version-number>.
/tmp — Reserved directory for all
users to store temporary files. Files stored here are not permanent. A
system process removes old files from this directory on a periodic
basis. Do not write any files or directories that you want to keep
here.
Your Red Hat Linux system is compatible with many other Linux distributions
because of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). The FHS guidelines
help to standardize the way system programs and files are stored on all
Linux systems.
To learn more about the FHS, refer to the Official Red Hat Linux Reference Guide
Reference Guide. You can also visit the FHS website: http://www.pathname.com/fhs.
