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<TITLE>The Answer Guy 45: <TT>/bin</TT> vs <TT>/sbin</TT> and the FHS Revisited</TITLE>
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<H4>"The Linux Gazette...<I>making Linux just a little more fun!</I>"</H4>
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<H4>By James T. Dennis,
<a href="mailto:answerguy@ssc.com">answerguy@ssc.com</a><BR>
LinuxCare,
<A HREF="http://www.linuxcare.com/">http://www.linuxcare.com/</A>
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<H3 align="left"><img src="../../gx/dennis/qbubble.gif"
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><TT>/bin</TT> vs <TT>/sbin</TT> and the FHS Revisited</H3>
<p><strong>From Greg Morse on Fri, 20 Aug 1999
</strong></p>
<!-- ::
<TT>/bin</TT> vs <TT>/sbin</TT> and the FHS Revisited
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
:: -->
<P><STRONG>
I enjoyed your little write up on bin vs <TT>/sbin</TT> etc.
Is there somewhere that a file standard for non-linux systems exists?
I have heard reference to a system V standard. How different is it from
Linux?
</STRONG></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><IMG SRC="../../gx/dennis/bbub.gif" ALT="(!)"
HEIGHT="28" WIDTH="50" BORDER="0"
>
There are many standards that relate to various facets
of various forms of UNIX. However, I don't know of anything
quite like the FHS for non-Linux systems.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
I've heard that HP was looking at the Linux FHS as a
possible model for their own HP-UX filesystem/layout
specification. However that is an unsubstantiated
rumor. Of course UNIX vendors are welcome to adopt the
FHS and adapt their systems to match it. This would be
of benefit to all UNIX and Linux users.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><STRONG><IMG SRC="../../gx/dennis/qbub.gif" ALT="(?)"
HEIGHT="28" WIDTH="50" BORDER="0"
>
Also linux does not seem to have a <TT>/opt</TT> filesystem which is quite
heavily used on my AIX and HPUX boxes. What is the Linux equivalent?
</STRONG></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><IMG SRC="../../gx/dennis/bbub.gif" ALT="(!)"
HEIGHT="28" WIDTH="50" BORDER="0"
>
Linux does offer <TT>/opt.</TT> I usually make mine a symlink to
<TT>/usr/local/opt.</TT> It is supposed to be for "applications
binaries" (so things like <A HREF="http://www.kde.org/">KDE</A>,
WordPerfect, Applixware, and StarOffice would all go into the
<TT>/opt</TT> hierarchy).
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<P><STRONG><IMG SRC="../../gx/dennis/qbub.gif" ALT="(?)"
HEIGHT="28" WIDTH="50" BORDER="0"
>
I would also appreciate it if you could go a bit deeper down the
directory tree, explaining as you go. The whole unix directory structure
is a mess and could really do with some xplanation as to what the common
idoms are.
Thank you.
</STRONG></P>
<BLOCKQUOTE><IMG SRC="../../gx/dennis/bbub.gif" ALT="(!)"
HEIGHT="28" WIDTH="50" BORDER="0"
>
Oooh! That would be a bit of a project. I don't think I
have time for it this month (that two week trip to Japan
and the demands of a full-time job are catching up to me).
However, I'll leave this in my inbox until the end of the
month in case I can spend a bit more time on it.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Note that there is a bit of a fractal quality to some parts
of the typical/conventional Linux/UNIX directory tree.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
For example we find bin, sbin, etc, lib and doc subdirectories
under <TT>/usr/local/</TT> which serve purposes that are analogous
to the same directories that are found under <TT>/</TT> and/or under
<TT>/usr</TT>. We commonly find a similar set of directories under
<TT>/opt</TT>. It's also common to see users who put tmp, bin, src,
and even lib subdirectories under their home directories.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Some of the same things can be seen under the <TT>/usr/X11R6</TT>
directory tree.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Beyond that quite a bit of the directory structure is
specific to the packages that are installed.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE>
Remember all of these are guidelines rather than strict
rules. Sysadmins frequently will set things a bit
differently --- though deviating too far from the
expectations of their software will require quite a bit
of programming and patching on their part.
</BLOCKQUOTE>
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<H5 align="center"><a href="http://www.linuxgazette.com/ssc.copying.html"
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<BR>Published in <I>The Linux Gazette</I> Issue 45 September 1999</H5>
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