The Linux file system hierarchy is a standardized directory organization method used to standardize the storage location of files and resources. 1. The root directory (/) is the starting point of the entire system, and all other directories are mounted here; 2. /bin stores basic commands for ordinary users, and /sbin stores administrator commands, and both are still available in single-user mode; 3. /etc saves system and service configuration files, such as /etc/passwd, /etc/hosts, etc.; 4. /home is the home directory of ordinary users, and /root is the home directory of superusers; 5. /dev contains device files, representing hardware devices; 6. /proc and /sys provide dynamic information of kernel, hardware and processes; 7. /tmp and /var/tmp are used for temporary files, the former is cleared after restarting, and the latter is retained for a longer time; 8. /usr stores user-level programs and read-only resources, such as /usr/bin, /usr/share. Understanding this structure helps quickly locate files, debug problems, and write scripts.

The Linux file system hierarchy is a standardized set of directories and file organization, with the goal of allowing different programs, users and services to find the resources they need. Simply put, it specifies where various files in the system should be placed.

1. / (root directory)

This is the starting point for the entire file system, and all other directories are mounted under it. For example /home , /etc , /usr , etc. It does not contain any actual data, it is just a "entry" to other directories.

Tips: Don’t put files into the root directory casually, as it can easily cause confusion.

2. /bin and /sbin ——Basic command storage location

/bin stores basic commands commonly used by ordinary users, such as ls , cp , and mv ; /sbin is a command used by system administrators, such as reboot and fdisk .

They are characterized by: they can be used even if the system is in single-user mode, because these commands are crucial for system maintenance.

3. /etc ——The base camp of configuration files

Almost all services and programs configuration files are here. For example, network settings, user account information, software package configuration, etc.

Common examples:

• /etc/passwd : User account information
• /etc/hosts : local host name resolution
• /etc/resolv.conf : DNS settings

It is recommended to back up the original file before modification, such as using sudo cp /etc/hostname /etc/hostname.bak .

4. /home and /root — User home directory

The personal folders of each ordinary user are placed /home/用戶名, such as /home/john . /root is the home directory of the super user (root), which is usually not accessible to ordinary users.

You can freely add files, scripts, download content, etc. here.

5. /dev —— Where the device file is located

Linux also treats hardware devices as files, so this directory is full of device files, such as hard disk partition /dev/sda1 and terminal device /dev/tty .

This type of file generally does not require manual modification and is automatically managed by the system.

6. /proc and /sys —— Virtual file system

These two directories are not real disk files, but runtime information interfaces.

• /proc provides kernel and process information, such as CPU information /proc/cpuinfo
• /sys focuses more on device drivers and hardware state

Their contents are dynamically updated as the system runs.

7. /tmp and /var/tmp — Temporary file storage

Programs or users can store temporary files here. The difference is:

• /tmp content will be cleared after restarting
• /var/tmp cleansing frequency is low, suitable for longer-term temporary files

Pay attention to permission issues. Multiple users can write them, and try to avoid putting sensitive information here.

8. /usr — User-level programs and data

Although the name is "user programs", it is now more like a read-only system resource directory. Included in:

• /usr/bin : User program
• /usr/sbin : Systems hypervisor
• /usr/lib : library file
• /usr/share : Shared resources (such as documents, icons)

Basically, variable data will not be placed, so it is often mounted as read-only.

Basically that's it. Understanding the Linux file system structure will help you quickly locate configuration files, debug problems, and even write automated scripts much more convenient. Although it seems a bit too many, there are only a few directories commonly used. After getting familiar with it, you will naturally know where to go.

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