Linux.com: The Linux Directory Structure | Linux Today

Linux.com: The Linux Directory Structure

Written By
Web Webster
Web Webster
Jun 14, 2000

So, you’ve taken the plunge and installed Linux.
Congratulations! You’ve taken the first step on a long but very
rewarding journey, and we’re here to help. If you’ve come from a
Windows or Macintosh background, you’re going to be faced with some
potentially unfamiliar concepts that are essential to using the
system effectively. Let’s get started by talking about a very
important concept: the Linux directory structure.

“If you’ve come from, say, a Windows background, you’re used to
certain types of files being in certain locations. Linux is no
different in this respect, except that the locations are different.
You may find the Linux way of doing things more preferable, simply
because files are arranged in a more logical hierarchy.”

“The first thing to note is that in a directory path, directory
and file names are separated by forward slashes (“/”) instead of
backslashes. In Linux, directories are arranged in a tree-like
structure, starting with what is known as the “root,” or top-most
directory. The root directory is represented by a single forward
slash. Underneath it are the main system directories.”


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Web Webster

Web Webster

Web Webster has more than 20 years of writing and editorial experience in the tech sector. He’s written and edited news, demand generation, user-focused, and thought leadership content for business software solutions, consumer tech, and Linux Today, he edits and writes for a portfolio of tech industry news and analysis websites including webopedia.com, and DatabaseJournal.com.

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