The Linux root Filesystem

The Linux root filesystem contains files and executables that the kernel requires, as well as executables for system administration. In a desktop workstation installation, the kernel mounts a hard disk partition on the / directory. The following directories exist beneath the / directory:

  • /bin and /sbin contain system executables such as init, ifconfig, mount, cd, mkdir, and ping.

  • /lib contains the shared libraries (libc and others) and the Linux dynamic loader.

  • /etc contains system configuration files and scripts.

  • /dev contains special device files.

  • The kernel dynamically creates the /proc directory in memory to provide system information.

  • /usr contains additional programs and libraries.

  • /var contains files that change during ...

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