Day 3 – Understanding Linux File System Hierarchy: A Beginner’s Guide

Author: Fiza – ICS Student | Aspiring DevOps Engineer | Linux Explorer

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Introduction – Meet the Author

Hi, I’m Fiza – an ICS student with a big goal of becoming a DevOps Engineer. I’ve started this 10-day Linux blog series to help myself and others explore the Linux world from the ground up. If you're a beginner, you're in the right place! Let’s dive into one of the most important topics today: Linux File System Hierarchy.

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What is the Linux File System Hierarchy?

The Linux file system is structured like a tree, starting from the root directory /. Everything – files, folders, and even hardware – starts from this root and branches out into specific directories.

This structure follows a standard called FHS (Filesystem Hierarchy Standard), which almost all Linux distributions respect.

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Important Directories and Their Purposes

Here are the most commonly used folders in Linux and what they’re used for:

1. / (Root)

The top of the file system. Every file and folder starts from here.

2. /bin

Contains essential Linux command binaries like ls, cp, and mv.

3. /boot

Holds files needed to boot the Linux system (like the kernel).

4. /etc

Stores system configuration files (network settings, users, etc).

5. /home

Personal folders for all users, like /home/fiza.

6. /var

Variable data like logs, mail spools, and cache go here.

7. /usr

Contains user-installed software and related files.

8. /tmp

Temporary files are stored here. They’re cleared after reboot.

9. /dev

Represents system devices like USB drives or hard disks as files.

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Why Is This Important?

Understanding the file system helps you:

Know where things are stored.

Configure and troubleshoot systems.

Work like a pro in the terminal.

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Fiza’s Tip of the Day

Try this command in your terminal:

ls /

This will show you all the top-level directories. Try exploring a few of them using:

ls /etc

ls /home

ls /bin

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Conclusion

The Linux file system may look confusing at first, but once you understand the purpose of each directory, navigating Linux becomes much easier. This knowledge is foundational for system management and DevOps skills.

Thanks for reading Day 3! Tomorrow in Day 4, we’ll explore file permissions and ownership – an essential topic for any Linux user.

If you’re enjoying this series, follow me on Hashnode to stay updated with the next blogs. Let’s grow and learn Linux together!