Linux Directory Hierarchy and Linux Tree Path

Linux Directory Hierarchy

• Files are grouped into logical units into collections called
• directories (known as folders in other OS's)
• Directories may contain subdirectories, resulting in a
• hierarchical structure
• The top-most directory in this tree is called the root
• directory, denoted by a /
• Each user has a directory set aside for storing personal files
• – this is called his home directory – uniquely identified by
• the username e.g /home/dilbert
• Users should create new directories in their home directories
• to properly organise their files

Linux Directory Tree

Pathing

The location of a file in the file system is known as its

pathname

For example:

• /home/dilbert/admin/budget.doc
• /usr/bin/less

A pathname uniquely defines the path from the root directory to a file. Note that applications are also files in the file system and have their own pathnames.