I've been using Linux for a couple of years now but I still haven't figured out what the origin or meaning of some the directory names are on Unix and Unix like systems. E.g. what does etc
stand for or var
? Where does the opt
name come from?
And while we're on the topic anyway. Can someone give a clear explanation of what directory is best used for what. I sometimes get confused where certain software is installed or what the most appropriate directory is to install software into.
Best Answer
For more data on the layout of Linux file-systems, look at the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (now at version 2.3, with the beta 3.0 version deployed on most recent distros). It does explain some of where the names came from:
/usr/local/
for reasons I'll get to later./srv/http
would be for static websites,/srv/ftp
for an FTP server./opt vs /usr/local
The rule of thumb I've seen is best described as: