what is the full path to the directory that contains information about the system state

If you're coming from Windows, the Linux file system structure tin can seem peculiarly alien. The C:\ drive and drive letters are gone, replaced by a / and ambiguous-sounding directories, most of which accept iii letter names.

The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) defines the construction of file systems on Linux and other UNIX-like operating systems. Withal, Linux file systems also contain some directories that aren't yet defined by the standard.

/ — The Root Directory

Everything on your Linux system is located under the / directory, known as the root directory. You tin recall of the / directory as being like to the C:\ directory on Windows — but this isn't strictly true, as Linux doesn't accept drive letters. While some other segmentation would be located at D:\ on Windows, this other partition would appear in another folder under / on Linux.

/bin — Essential User Binaries

The /bin directory contains the essential user binaries (programs) that must be present when the organisation is mounted in single-user fashion. Applications such as Firefox are stored in /usr/bin, while of import system programs and utilities such as the fustigate shell are located in /bin. The /usr directory may be stored on another partition — placing these files in the /bin directory ensures the system will have these important utilities even if no other file systems are mounted. The /sbin directory is similar — information technology contains essential system assistants binaries.

/kicking — Static Boot Files

The /boot directory contains the files needed to boot the system — for example, the Chow boot loader's files and your Linux kernels are stored here. The kicking loader's configuration files aren't located here, though — they're in /etc with the other configuration files.

/cdrom — Historical Mount Point for CD-ROMs

The /cdrom directory isn't part of the FHS standard, but y'all'll all the same find it on Ubuntu and other operating systems. It's a temporary location for CD-ROMs inserted in the system. However, the standard location for temporary media is inside the /media directory.

/dev — Device Files

Linux exposes devices as files, and the /dev directory contains a number of special files that correspond devices. These are not bodily files every bit we know them, but they appear as files — for example, /dev/sda represents the first SATA drive in the system. If you wanted to segmentation information technology, you could start a partitioning editor and tell it to edit /dev/sda.

This directory also contains pseudo-devices, which are virtual devices that don't actually stand for to hardware. For example, /dev/random produces random numbers. /dev/cipher is a special device that produces no output and automatically discards all input — when you lot pipe the output of a command to /dev/naught, you discard it.

/etc — Configuration Files

The /etc directory contains configuration files, which can generally be edited past paw in a text editor. Notation that the /etc/ directory contains system-wide configuration files — user-specific configuration files are located in each user'due south domicile directory.

/dwelling house — Home Folders

The /home directory contains a dwelling binder for each user. For example, if your user name is bob, you accept a home folder located at /home/bob. This home folder contains the user'southward data files and user-specific configuration files. Each user merely has write access to their own home folder and must obtain elevated permissions (become the root user) to modify other files on the system.

/lib — Essential Shared Libraries

The /lib directory contains libraries needed by the essential binaries in the /bin and /sbin folder. Libraries needed by the binaries in the /usr/bin folder are located in /usr/lib.

/lost+found — Recovered Files

Each Linux file system has a lost+found directory. If the file system crashes, a file system cheque will exist performed at adjacent kicking. Whatsoever corrupted files found volition be placed in the lost+plant directory, so you can endeavour to recover equally much data as possible.

/media — Removable Media

The /media directory contains subdirectories where removable media devices inserted into the computer are mounted. For example, when yous insert a CD into your Linux system, a directory volition automatically be created inside the /media directory. You tin admission the contents of the CD inside this directory.

/mnt — Temporary Mountain Points

Historically speaking, the /mnt directory is where system administrators mounted temporary file systems while using them. For example, if you're mounting a Windows partitioning to perform some file recovery operations, you might mount information technology at /mnt/windows. However, you tin can mountain other file systems anywhere on the arrangement.

/opt — Optional Packages

The /opt directory contains subdirectories for optional software packages. It's commonly used by proprietary software that doesn't obey the standard file system hierarchy — for instance, a proprietary plan might dump its files in /opt/application when y'all install information technology.

/proc — Kernel & Process Files

The /proc directory like to the /dev directory because information technology doesn't contain standard files. Information technology contains special files that correspond system and process information.

/root — Root Home Directory

The /root directory is the domicile directory of the root user. Instead of beingness located at /home/root, it's located at /root. This is distinct from /, which is the system root directory.

/run — Application Country Files

The /run directory is fairly new, and gives applications a standard identify to shop transient files they crave like sockets and process IDs. These files tin can't be stored in /tmp considering files in /tmp may be deleted.

/sbin — System Assistants Binaries

The /sbin directory is like to the /bin directory. It contains essential binaries that are generally intended to be run by the root user for system administration.

/selinux — SELinux Virtual File System

If your Linux distribution uses SELinux for security (Fedora and Red Chapeau, for instance), the /selinux directory contains special files used by SELinux. It's similar to /proc. Ubuntu doesn't use SELinux, so the presence of this folder on Ubuntu appears to be a bug.

/srv — Service Data

The /srv directory contains "data for services provided by the organization." If y'all were using the Apache HTTP server to serve a website, you lot'd likely shop your website's files in a directory inside the /srv directory.

RELATED: How to Notice Your Apache Configuration Folder

/tmp — Temporary Files

Applications store temporary files in the /tmp directory. These files are by and large deleted whenever your organization is restarted and may be deleted at any time by utilities such as tmpwatch.

/usr — User Binaries & Read-Merely Information

The /usr directory contains applications and files used by users, as opposed to applications and files used by the system. For example, non-essential applications are located inside the /usr/bin directory instead of the /bin directory and non-essential system administration binaries are located in the /usr/sbin directory instead of the /sbin directory. Libraries for each are located inside the /usr/lib directory. The /usr directory also contains other directories — for case, architecture-contained files similar graphics are located in /usr/share.

The /usr/local directory is where locally compiled applications install to by default — this prevents them from mucking up the residue of the system.

/var — Variable Information Files

The /var directory is the writable counterpart to the /usr directory, which must be read-merely in normal operation. Log files and everything else that would ordinarily be written to /usr during normal functioning are written to the /var directory. For case, you'll find log files in /var/log.

For more detailed technical information about the Linux file system bureaucracy, consult the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard documentation.

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Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/117435/htg-explains-the-linux-directory-structure-explained/