Linux

Ask something
Discussion Locked

Help needed in understanding linux directories

0 helpful
4 replies

by davedxb 1 view

Closed to new repliesThis discussion is closed. It stays readable, but it takes no new replies.

Hi all, im about to get really deep into linux....step by step of course...and i would appreciate your support.

As we have in Microsoft Windows the following directoriies:

Documents and Settings:
user and application files and settings are stored here.

Program Files:
Installed profram files located here

Windows:
System files located here

Would you be kind enough to briefly describe what are located in the following directories:

Some are obvious and easy, but please try and include them all for others to know (who are not that smart to figure it out themselves).

/backup
/bin
/boot
/dev
/etc
/home
/lib
/lost+found
/media
/mnt
/opt
/root
/sbin
/scripts
/proc
/sys
/srv
/selinux
/usr
/var

I currently have a FEDORA CORE

web server
email server

hosted on the internet. Before i start to secure / optimize the system. I need to know whats installed, where its installed, etc.
The listed directories have been taken from there.

4 replies

by jmgarvin

I blogged about this:
https://www.techrepublic.com.com/5254-6257-0.html?forumID=99&threadID=173917&messageID=1845635&id=4093177

/backup - put your backup files here (I suggest tar and gzip, but you can use cpio if you wish)
/bin - executable stuff lives here. Commands like ls or grep
/boot - Your kernel and your grub directory (and grub.conf)
/dev - hardware devices live here. Your hardware will map to devices on the system (eg your hdd will map to /dev/hda and each piece is a partion on the drive)
/etc - System stuff lives here. Things like the samba configuration file and the boot options and run level options.
/home - Users live here. Kinda like My Documents, but far more robust
/lib - libaries that you system needs
/lost+found - If something that the system doesn't know what to do with happens, it ends up here
/media - typically where your "soft" mounts are. Things like the CD, DVD, USB, and other media can live here.
/mnt - depricated
/opt - typically for add on apps and such
/root - this is root's home directory
/proc - info about your system and process on your system are here
/selinux - This is kernel hardening stuff
/usr - User libs and such live here
/var - logs (for the most part) live here. Make sure to rotate your logs (syslogd is nice) or you'll be in for some pain

Stuff in Linux typically installs in either /bin, /sbin, or /etc. However, almost all configuration files are in /etc.

What Fedora Core version are you running? 5 is pretty flakey, but they have excellent SATA support. I'd suggest running a more robust distro for a web server. OpenSuSe, Gentoo, and Debian are nice and Red Hat Enterprise isn't too expensive.

To optimize the system, what are you looking to do? I suggest booting into run level 3 and not using the GUI (waste of resources)...

Does that help?

by davedxb

That definitly helped me understand my way round.

Im stuck with Fedora from a web hosting company.

But they give us full support.

Now im just trying to see what already installed and how its already configured...

then ill install stuff i need and configgure it to my liking.

example firewalls.. APF - BFD
Back ups and so on.

by jmgarvin

I've also blogged about that. You can also check out the various apps installed in the GUI or with rpm -qa

Good luck ;-)

This discussion is closed to new replies.