Linux Directory Structure

Parts of a Unix directory tree

/ Root
|---root The home directory for the root user
|---home Contains the user's home directories
|    |----ftp Users include many services as listed here
|    |----httpd
|    |----samba
|    |----user1
|    |----user2
|---bin Commands needed during bootup that might be needed by normal users
|---sbin Like bin but commands are not intended for normal users. Commands run by LINUX.
|---proc This filesystem is not on a disk. Exists in the kernels imagination (virtual). This directory
|    | Holds information about kernel parameters and system configuration.
|    |----1 A directory with info about process number 1. Each process
|      has a directory below proc.
|---usr Contains all commands, libraries, man pages, games and static files for normal
|    | operation.
|    |----bin Almost all user commands. some commands are in /bin or /usr/local/bin.
|    |----sbin System admin commands not needed on the root filesystem. e.g., most server
|    | programs.
|    |----include Header files for the C programming language. Should be below /user/lib for
|    | consistency.
|    |----lib Unchanging data files for programs and subsystems
|    |----local The place for locally installed software and other files.
|    |----man Manual pages
|    |----info Info documents
|    |----doc Documentation for various packages
|    |----tmp
|    |----X11R6 The X windows system files. There is a directory similar to usr below this
|    | directory.
|    |----X386 Like X11R6 but for X11 release 5
|---boot Files used by the bootstrap loader, LILO. Kernel images are often kept here.
|---lib Shared libraries needed by the programs on the root filesystem
|    |----modules Loadable kernel modules, especially those needed to boot the system after
|      disasters.
|---dev Device files for devices such as disk drives, serial ports, etc.
|---etc Configuration files specific to the machine.
|    |----skel When a home directory is created it is initialized with files from this directory
|    |----sysconfig Files that configure the linux system for networking, keyboard, time, and more.
|---var Contains files that change for mail, news, printers log files, man pages, temp files
|    |----file
|    |----lib Files that change while the system is running normally
|    |----local Variable data for programs installed in /usr/local.
|    |----lock Lock files. Used by a program to indicate it is using a particular device or file
|    |----log Log files from programs such as login and syslog which logs all logins,
|    | logouts, and other system messages.
|    |----run Files that contain information about the system that is valid until the system is
|    | next booted
|    |----spool Directories for mail, printer spools, news and other spooled work.
|    |----tmp Temporary files that are large or need to exist for longer than they should in
|    | /tmp.
|    |----catman A cache for man pages that are formatted on demand
|---mnt Mount points for temporary mounts by the system administrator.
|---tmp Temporary files. Programs running after bootup should use /var/tmp.


..taken from The Computer Technology Documentation Project