Special filenames
Some filenames have special meaning:
| name | meaning |
|---|---|
. |
The current directory. |
.. |
The parent directory of any given directory. |
/ |
The root directory. (It’s \ on Windows).By no coincidence, this is also the path separator. |
Unix only
| name | meaning |
|---|---|
.config.secrets |
Filenames beginning with . are hidden files and will not normally be displayed when you ask for a directory listing. |
~ |
Your home directory. This is usually the current directory when you first log in. |
~olivia |
User olivia’s home directory (you won’t necessarily have permission to look inside it). |
Most Unix systems have conventions for the name of system directories too. A few of them are described below. It’s a good idea to become familiar with these so you can find your way about. Remember these are only conventions, so individual systems can — and will — do things differently:
| name | use |
|---|---|
/bin |
Binary files — files that contain the instructions the machine follows for implementing commands or programs. |
/home |
Often the directory containing all the users’ home directories. |
/sbin |
System binaries, like /bin but with executables critical for system operation. |
/tmp |
Temporary files |
/usr |
“User” files — generally more for the users than the system. |
/var |
“Variable” files — files expected to change a lot. |
/var/log |
System log files. |
/var/tmp |
Temporary files. |