Directory Structure

[GrumpyGerbil]

Can someone please explain breifly why there are so many directories in linux, and why can it not be set out a little more like windows?

I know i know, becoming like windows is not a good thing i agree, but the simplicity of it is brilliant. What i would like to see happen is a Linux directory which includes all the bin etc, and loads of other files
a programs directory to hold the individual programs in there own subdirectory
And then the Usr directory as it is.

Does anyone else see this a logical or is it just me?

[dylunio]

An explaination of the Linux Filesystem Heirarchy

I personnaly still find it confusing, but a lot less confusing than in windows which I found dis-jointed.

dylunio

[Fallen Angel]

I like the way it is and I would never change it for Windows type.

[valan]

Linux directory is clean and simple. Windows directory is disgusting and pitiful. The link to the filesystem heirarchy does a great job of explaining it all.

[Ethyriel]

I think the reason it tends to be confusing is because so few distributions maintain the simplicity. You so often find distro built packages in /usr/local, for example, and then /opt goes unused. Then there's man.conf which, for some reason, sits in /usr/share/misc by default. And is it just me, or does it drive anyone else insane to see a distro pile all sorts of stuff directly under root? Even seeing the kernel there gets to me.

Now that I'm used to it and have a distro that does it right, I like the layout. It's almost like a search filter, limiting your results to libraries, configs, logs, or wherever it is you're working. The only real downside I see is that it's difficult to think holistically when you first start out. But then, with Windows it's difficult to ever think in such a way, it's such a counter-intuitive mess.

I just wish the home directory would be limited to dot files and really private stuff, and leave storage to a public /data directory. Unfortunately it would require a major change to the mindset of FOSS developers, since most everything defaults to your home directory. I wish they would at least default to root when opening or saving a file.

Anyway, if it's what you really want, you might check out Gobo Linux, they do things like unify programs under single directories, mostly with symlinks. I think Rubyx does similar things as well.

[ethyriel@demerzel /data]# rant --set 0

[GrumpyGerbil]

Maybe it is just because i don't really understand the linux system. I will be learning it now. Thanks for the great link

[dessie]

its a good thing u are learning the directory structure, it is your getway to getting Linux handy. checq /etc, this di gets essential configuration like apache(httpd.conf), samba(smb.conf) and security configuration.

jump into the /bin and get use to most of the commands and utilites that root uses. find the diff b/n the /bin and the /usr/sbin.

now also that ur home directories for use accounts are in the /home and many more interesting stuffs.

it's the best arranged dir tree by far.

urs in Linux