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Robert Ross
Asked: 2012-04-30 15:08:18 +0800 CST

What are the best practices of the usr, var, and etc folders? [duplicate]

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Possible Duplicate:
Meaning of directories on Unix and Unix like systems

I'm confused about the different uses for 3 of the standard "root-level" folders: /var /etc /usr

What are the different use cases for these directories?

unix

2 Answers

  1. "/etc" is used for configurations (.conf files etc). here you find all the configs and settings for your system.

    "/usr" is used for "user programs". Usually your package manager installs all the binaries, shared files etc. from all programs here (except config files, which go to /etc). You can check /usr/bin for binaries, /usr/share for shared files (media, etc), /usr/share/doc for documentation,...

    There is also an "/opt" folder, where there are "other" programs usually put (mostly binary programs, or programs installed from other sources (not the default package manager). Some programs like that (usually compiled) also go to "/usr/local"

    "/var" is usually used for log files, 'temporary' files (like mail spool, printer spool, etc), databases, and all other data not tied to a specific user. Logs are usually in "/var/log", databases in "/var/lib" (mysql - "/var/lib/mysql"), etc.

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  2. The /etc/ directory is a common location to put configuration files. (But not the ONLY one by any means.)

    The /var directory is the location for "variable" things like logs, running process ID pointer files, spool directories, and other things important for running services.

    The /usr/ directory is where user-accessible applications are generally located. Also a case of "by no means all".

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