When you look inside the root directory (/), you'll see several standard directories that exist on almost every Linux system. Each has a specific purpose defined by the Linux standards.
Here are the most common ones you'll encounter:
1. /bin and /usr/bin (Binaries)
These contain the executable programs (commands) that you use every day. For example, when you run ls, pwd, or echo, the system is actually running a file located in one of these directories.
2. /etc (Et cetera)
This is the "Control Center." It contains system-wide configuration files. If you want to change how the system boots or how a network behaves, the settings are usually stored here.
3. /home
As we discussed earlier, this is where users' personal folders are kept. Your specific space is /home/labex.
4. /root
This is the home directory for the root user (the system administrator). It is separate from /home to ensure the administrator can always log in, even if the user storage area has issues.
5. /tmp (Temporary)
A place for applications and users to store temporary files. Files here are often deleted automatically when the system restarts.
6. /var (Variable)
Contains files that change frequently while the system is running, such as system logs (records of what the computer is doing) and databases.
7. /dev (Devices)
In Linux, "everything is a file." This directory contains files that represent your hardware, like your hard drive, mouse, or keyboard.
8. /usr (User System Resources)
This is usually the largest directory. It contains all the programs, libraries, and documentation used by users (rather than the core system itself).
You can see these yourself right now by running:
ls -F /(The -F flag adds a / to the end of folder names so they are easier to spot!)
