Linux, like Unix, has a predefined directory/folder structure, which will for most of you be the biggest thing that you
will have to get used to. This directory tree does on the other hand have it's positive aspects, for example all the system configuration
files are in the /etc directory. Unlike DOS, Linux uses the / to define the "directory tree root" (the top of the tree),
also sub directories are defined in the same way, i.e. /etc/httpd/ . It is possible to bend this directory tree a little
but the question is should it be bent at all? Like I said (see HDD, Floppies, & CD-ROMs) there are no physical hard drives anywhere to
be seen, i.e. no C: D:..., & it would certainly be possible to create a directory in the root directory & call it
c: & then mount (see mount) the whole HDD into that directory, & when you compile or install software modify all the paths
to suit your "windowsed" environment....... but why bother. You will soon discover that this directory tree is more convenient the way it is.
A typical directory tree on a Suse system looks like this:
/ (root directory, being the very top of the tree)
/bin (system necessary binaries required in the boot process)
/boot (the home of the Linux kernel)
/cdrom (directory for the contents of the CD-ROM, when mounted in here)
/dev (short for devices, all the hardware device files are stored here)
/etc (all the important system configuration files are to be found here)
/floppy (directory for the contents of the floppy, when mounted in here)
/home (the "home" directory for all registered "normal" (non root) users)
/lib (default directory for all shared libraries (comparable to .dll files))
/sbin (home of the "system binaries" mainly reserved for the administrator)
/root (root user's home folder)
/opt (default directory for "optional" software, like KDE & Gnome)
/proc (directory with the process file system)
/tmp (temp directory)
/usr ("user", default directory for almost all installed software)
/var ("variable", home of all the log files, in/out coming mail, print jobs...)
Finding the right place to look for what you want does take a bit of getting used to, but you will soon find this type of directory
tree very useful. In many of the main directories the complex system of sub directories can be confusing at times, but believe me
you will not really need to seriously search through these. A very useful programme is mc "midnight commander" which is
very similar to Norton Navigator. It helps you get a better view of the whole directory tree. The /etc directory is the most important one I
think, & the files stored in it are easy to find, that is if you want to configure the system by hand. On the other hand the Suse
distribution provides the yast (yet another setup tool) to aid you in this job.
