[FAQ] Linux File System Overview


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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you for this thread! I just installed openSUSE 10.2 on a dual boot with Vista and I was wondering about the directory structure (perhaps a better term than file system in this case) works.

Why does root have exclusive access to so many directories in / ?

Why did the installer mount my NTFS Windows partition to /windows/C instead of /mnt/windows/C? This may be a distro thing

  • 1 year later...
"This Linux file system is crazy..."

This FAQ is a quick overview that I have written to summarize how the files are generally organized into their directories. I have often described this, in the past, as looking at a vertical vs. horizontal method of determining where different files should be placed. :blink: However, that doesn't really clear things up for 99% of the people I have tried to describe this to, so I will attempt to better explain this here. I will cover the file & directory organization in very broad brush strokes. For more detailed information, there are thousands of in-depth resources to be found with a brief google. Most Linux books cover this as well (but are often skipped as they aren't readily understood by most people who haven't worked with Linux for a while).

Awesome post, gave me greater insight to Linux.

  • 4 weeks later...
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