SUSE LINUX Documentation - Index of

3.1.2 Linux Directory Structure
Because the shell does not offer a graphical overview of directories and files like the
tree view in a file manager, it is useful to have some basic knowlegde of the default
directory structure in a Linux system. You can think of directories as electronic folders
in which files, programs, and subdirectories are stored. The top level directory in the
hierarchy is the root directory, referred to as /. This is the place from which all other
directories can be accessed.
Figure 3.4, “Excerpt from a Standard Directory Tree” (page 94) shows the standard
directory tree in Linux, with the home directories of the example users xyz, linux,
and tux. The /home directory contains the directories in which the individual users
can store their personal files.
NOTE: Home Directory in a Network Environment
If you are working in a network environment, your home directory may not be
called /home. It can be mapped to any directory in the file system.
The following list provides a brief description of the standard directories in Linux.
Working with the Shell 93