When you first dive into Linux, the directory structure might look a little intimidating. But once you understand the core folders and what they’re used for, it all starts to make a bit more sense. One way to make things more understandable is by making comparisons to Windows.
👋 Quick confession: I'm currently working through a Linux course myself! So while this guide is written to help others learn, it's also a cheat sheet I’ll be bookmarking for my own Linux adventures. If you're learning too, we're in this together!
Let’s break it all down!
📚 Table of Contents
-
/— Root Directory -
/home— User Home Directories -
/root— Root User’s Home -
/etc— Configuration Files -
/bin— Essential Binaries -
/sbin— System Binaries -
/usr— User Applications and Files -
/var— Variable Files -
/tmp— Temporary Files -
/dev— Device Files -
/procand/sys— System Info -
/lib— Libraries -
TL;DR— Visual Comparison Table
📁 / — Root Directory
What it is: The starting point of the entire Linux file system. Every other file and folder branches out from here.
Windows equivalent: C:\ (the main drive)
📁 /home — User Home Directories
What it is: Where personal files for each user are stored. For example, your documents, downloads, and configs.
Windows equivalent: C:\Users\YourName\
📁 /root — Root User’s Home
What it is: The home directory for the root (administrator) user.
Windows equivalent: Kind of like C:\Users\Administrator\
📁 /etc — Configuration Files
What it is: System-wide configuration files for your Linux system and installed software.
Windows equivalent: A mix of C:\Windows\System32\ and the Windows Registry
📁 /bin — Essential Binaries
What it is: Basic command-line programs needed to boot and run the system.
Windows equivalent: Think of this like C:\Windows\System32\ for basic command tools.
📁 /sbin — System Binaries
What it is: System-level binaries (commands) for admin tasks, usually run by the root user.
Windows equivalent: Also similar to System32, but tools for system maintenance.
📁 /usr — User Applications and Files
What it is: Secondary hierarchy for user-installed software, libraries, and documentation.
Windows equivalent: Like C:\Program Files\ or C:\Program Files (x86)\
📁 /var — Variable Files
What it is: Files that change often, like logs, mail, or spool directories.
Windows equivalent: Like C:\ProgramData\ or C:\Windows\Logs\
📁 /tmp — Temporary Files
What it is: Stores temporary files. Gets cleared on reboot.
Windows equivalent: Like C:\Windows\Temp\
📁 /dev — Device Files
What it is: Represents hardware devices as files (yes, even USB drives).
Windows equivalent: Like Device Manager, but represented as files in a folder.
📁 /proc and /sys — System Info
What it is: Virtual files that expose system and kernel info in real-time.
Windows equivalent: Similar to tools like Task Manager or System Information
📁 /lib — Libraries
What it is: Shared libraries needed by binaries in /bin and /sbin.
Windows equivalent: Like .dll files in System32
🧠 TL;DR: Visual Comparison Table
| Linux Directory | Purpose | Windows Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
/ |
Root of file system | C:\ |
/home |
User files | C:\Users\ |
/root |
Admin user home | C:\Users\Administrator\ |
/etc |
Config files |
System32 + Registry |
/bin |
Essential commands |
System32 tools |
/sbin |
Admin tools | Advanced system tools |
/usr |
User-installed apps | Program Files\ |
/var |
Logs, mail, etc. |
ProgramData, Logs\
|
/tmp |
Temporary files |
Temp folder |
/dev |
Hardware devices | Device Manager |
/proc / /sys
|
System info | Task Manager, System Info |
/lib |
Shared libraries |
.dll files |
Thanks for reading! If you're also learning Linux, I’d love to hear about your journey in the comments. Let’s learn together! 💻🚀
💬 Let’s Connect
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