Questions tagged [filesystem]

The general filesystem in Ubuntu is arranged in a single tree with everything under /. This tag should be used for questions dealing with Ubuntu's layout of files, permissions, and files that reside in special locations on disk. Questions related to a particular filesystem should instead use the specific tag for that (for instance: ext4, btrfs, zfs).

In Ubuntu, as in other Linux systems, files are arranged in a single tree with everything under / : the root directory.

A useful reference is the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard, which sets out requirements and guidelines for Unix-like file systems in detail.

Some examples: the kernel and bootloader files are found in /boot, system executables are usually in /bin /usr and /sbin, configuration files are mostly found in /etc, variable files, such as system logs, are in /var, and normal users' home directories are in /home.

A key attribute of Linux file systems is the control of permissions for each file in the system. This stems from the design of Unix systems as inherently multi-user. Files are always owned by some user and some group, and the ability to read, change or "execute" a file are separately defined for the owner, the group, and everyone else. Normal users own the files in their home directories, while the majority of other files are owned by root. In Ubuntu, root normally has no password, and normal users gain permission to modify files owned by other users, including root, with the use of sudo.

A simplified graphical summary:

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How do I view all available HDD's/partitions?

I found a 6 GB IDE HDD in my basement. I want to plug it in and see what might be on it. The drive seems to be recognized in BIOS. I can't find it in Ubuntu to view files, and Ubuntu is the only OS on that particular computer. I was wondering if…
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How can I securely erase a hard drive?

I'm planning on selling a USB external hard drive that currently contains an old Ubuntu installation with stored passwords and banking information. How can I securely erase the drive before selling it?
ændrük
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How to understand the Ubuntu file system layout?

In Windows there’re perhaps only a couple of important folders (by important I mean important in my logical picture of the Windows file system) in the installation drive (in my case C:\). Namely Program Files and Windows. I simply stay away from…
Shashank Sawant
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What is the Linux equivalent to Windows' Program Files?

Under Windows, most applications and application data are stored in a special directory known as C:\Program Files (and occasionally C:\Program Files (x86)). What is the Ubuntu/Linux equivalent to this path? Is there even one?
user11154
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Too many open files - how to find the culprit

When running tail -f filename, I got the following message: tail: inotify cannot be used, reverting to polling: Too many open files Is that a potential problem? How do I diagnose what's responsible for all the open files? I have a list of suspect…
Andrew Grimm
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What is the role of the .ICEauthority file?

When I listed files in my home directory, there was a hidden file named .ICEauthority. What is this file, and what is its role?
user262235
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Why has /var/run been migrated to /run?

From the technical overview of Ubuntu 11.10 Oneiric: Ubuntu 11.10 has migrated away from /var/run, /var/lock and /dev/shm and now uses /run, /run/lock and /run/shm instead (respectively). I hardcode these paths in my applications, why is this…
Lekensteyn
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Where can I find the location of folders for installed programs?

I'm new to Ubuntu and would like to know where I can find the location of program files for programs installed from the Ubuntu Software Center or the Terminal.
Mysterio
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Where in the filesystem should I store shared data?

Where in the unix filesystem is the conventional location to save non-user specific data, for example data shared via nfs or ftp, or backups? I could obviously create and use any arbitrary folder (such as /home/shared, /data or /var/data), but I'm…
misterben
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Many directories have a ".d" suffix/extension. What does it mean?

My system has 132 directories whose names end in .d There are also two scripts whose names end in .d Aside from the two wayward scripts (/usr/sbin/invoke-rc.d, /usr/sbin/update-rc.d), I assume that .d means directory... (but I do wonder why those…
Peter.O
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Where is the default folder for Apps?

I am relatively new to the linux world. I use OSX at home and Windows at work. In those worlds, there is a default folder for applications (C:\Program Files, /Applications). Is there any such directory in Ubuntu? I understand that this is not very…
Nivas
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blk_update_request: I/O error, dev fd0, sector 0

This happened after a kernel update. Whenever I try to boot, my computer says Error getting authority: Error initializing authority: Could not connect: No such file or directory (g-io-error-quark, 1) Welcome to emergency mode!... followed by a bunch…
user401317
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How do I change UUID of a disk to whatever I want?

I have an unique situation where I need to change UUID of usb flash drive to previous UUID. I formatted it and obviously number changed... I've ubuntu server setup with 1TB hdd, and 4GB usb flash drive to boot from. Grub on hdd is configured for…
user25389
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What is /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/ for?

I'm using an application that, when searching for installed dependencies, looks up some .so files in /usr/lib and /usr/local/lib/. Now I migrated on Natty and some files seem to be moved from /usr/lib to /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/. Should I report a…
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What is the double slash (//) directory?

I mistakenly typed cd // instead of cd /. To my surprise, current directory showed up as //. What is that directory? Why does it exist? apple@snipped $ pwd /home/apple apple@snipped $ cd / apple@snipped $ pwd / apple@snipped $ cd // apple@snipped $…
Zabba
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