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Omkar Sharma
Omkar Sharma

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Confused by the Linux Directory Tree? Here's What You Need to Know

#linux #beginners #devops #cloud

Before diving into the Linux folder hierarchy, let’s first look at what you see when you open a terminal on a Linux system.

When you're logged in as root on a local Linux machine, you’ll typically see something like:

root directory

This tells us:

  • root – the username you're logged in as.
  • hostname – the name of the machine.
  • / – the current directory (this is the root directory).
  • # – signifies you're logged in as the root user (administrator privileges).

If you're using an AWS EC2 Ubuntu instance, the prompt might look like:

ubuntu@ip-<your-ec2-ip>:~$
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Here:

  • ubuntu – the default user.
  • ip- – your instance’s hostname.
  • ~ – your current directory, which is the home directory of the ubuntu user.
  • $ – indicates you're a normal (non-root) user.

To explore the system folders fully, switch to the root user:

sudo su
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Then navigate to the root directory:

cd /
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Understanding the Folder Structure

Explanation of System Directories

Directory   Description
/sbin -> /usr/sbin  System binaries for administrative commands (linked to /usr/sbin).
/bin -> /usr/bin    Essential user binaries (linked to /usr/bin).
/lib -> /usr/lib    Shared libraries and kernel modules (linked to /usr/lib).
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Important System Directories

Directory   Description
/boot   Stores files needed for booting the system (not relevant in containers).
/usr    Contains most user-installed applications and libraries.
/var    Stores logs, caches, and temporary files that change frequently.
/etc    Stores system configuration files.
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User & Application-Specific Directories

Directory   Description
/home   Default location for user home directories.
/opt    Used for installing optional third-party software.
/srv    Holds data for services like web servers (rarely used in containers).
/root   Home directory for the root user.
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Temporary & Volatile Directories

Directory   Description
/tmp    Temporary files (cleared on reboot).
/run    Holds runtime data for processes.
/proc   Virtual filesystem for process and system information.
/sys    Virtual filesystem for hardware and kernel information.
/dev    Contains device files (e.g., /dev/null, /dev/sda).
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Mount Points

Directory   Description
/mnt    Temporary mount point for external filesystems.
/media  Mount point for removable media (USB, CDs).
/data   Likely your mounted volume from Windows (C:/ubuntu-data).
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