Talk:Linux (operating system)/FileSystem

archived from Linux; can be deleted later if no one objects:

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File system

As a Unix-like system, Linux maintains a hierarchical set of directories and permissions. Each file contains three basic permissions: read, write, and execute. Each directory and file is owned by a user account of the system and a (optional) group of users, and permission may be given to allow other users and groups to access the files as well, but only if the owner chooses to do so. This system is, while somewhat complicated, is very efficient, and has stood the test of time as a great prevention of malware.

The Linux kernel contains many directories. The following is a list of some of the most common:

Directory	Contents
bin	Contains essential commands, such as bash, cp, and rm
dev	Every device connected to the computer is held here, such as hard disks, wireless adapters, system memory, and so on
etc	Contains global system configurations, such as the X.org settings
home	Root of the user folders; contains documents and personalized settings for each individual
lib	Libraries called upon by the system applications; a collection of functions that are not specific to any one program alone
root	The home folder for the superuser
sbin	Houses the binaries necessary to the system, such as disk mounting tools
usr	Contains the majority of the program binaries, as well as shell commands
var	Slightly miscellaneous, this directory normally holds system logs and the HTTP directory