Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

3.4 /etc : Host-specific system configuration

/etc contains configuration files and directories that are specific to the current system.

No binaries should be located under /etc.

Tree 3.4.1

The following section is intended partly to illuminate the description of the contents of /etc with a number of examples; it is definitely not an exhaustive list.

Required files for /etc:

• General files:
  • { adjtime, csh.login, disktab, fdprm, fstab, gettydefs, group, inittab, confissue, ld.so.conf, lilo.conf, motd, mtab, mtools, passwd, profile, securetty, shells, syslog.conf, ttytype }
• Networking files:
  • { exports, ftpusers, gateways, host.conf, hosts, hosts.allow, hosts.deny, hosts.equiv, hosts.lpd, inetd.conf, networks, printcap, protocols, resolv.conf, rpc, services }

Notes:

The setup of command scripts invoked at boot time may resemble System V or BSD models. Further specification in this area may be added to a future version of this standard.

Systems that use the shadow password suite will have additional configuration files in /etc (/etc/shadow and others) and programs in /usr/sbin (useradd, usermod, and others).