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The Default Solaris File System

The Solaris file system is hierarchical, starting with the root directory (/) and continuing downward through a number of directories. The Solaris Operating Environment installs a default set of directories and uses a set of conventions to group similar types of files together. Table 44 describes the default Solaris file system and shows the type of each file system.

Table 44. The Default Solaris File System

Directory

File System Type

Description

/

ufs

The top of the hierarchical file tree. The root directory contains the directories and files critical for system operation, such as the kernel (/kernel/unix), the device drivers, and the programs used to start (boot) the system. It also contains the mount point directories to which local and remote file systems can be attached to the file tree.

/etc/mnttab

mntfs

Read-only information provided directly from the kernel about mounted file systems for the local system. New in the Solaris 8 Operating Environment.

graphics/new.gif /usr

ufs

System files and directories that can be shared with other users. Files that run only on certain types of systems are in the /usr directory (for example, SPARC executables). Files (such as manual pages) that can be used on all types of systems are in /usr/share. Sun's current recommendation is that you make /usr part of the root file system.

/export/home or /home

ufs, NFS

The mount point for the users' home directories, which store users' work files. By default, /home is an automounted file system. On stand-alone systems, /export/home is a UFS file system on a local disk slice.

graphics/new.gif /var

ufs

System files and directories that are likely to change or grow over the life of the local system. These include system logs, vi and ex backup files, uucp files, and mail and calendar files. Sun's current recommendation is that you make /var part of the root file system. Because /var is the most likely directory to fill up with with log files, the Solaris 9 Operating Environment provides a log management command that you can use to rotate, compress, age, and eventually remove log files before they fill up this file system. See logadm(1M) and logadm.conf(4) for more information.

graphics/new.gif /opt

ufs

Mount point for optional, third-party software. Sun's current recommendation is that you make /opt part of the root file system unless it is too large to fit on the boot disk.

/tmp

tmpfs

Temporary files, cleared each time the system is booted or unmounted.

graphics/new.gif /var/run

tmpfs

A file system for storing temporary files that are not needed after the system is booted.

/proc

procfs

A list of active system processes, by number.

The root (/) and /usr file systems are both needed to run a system. Some of the most basic commands from the /usr file system (such as mount) are included in the root file system so that they are available when the system boots or is in single-user mode. If you make /usr part of the / file system, both partitions are always available.

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