Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

This page is the home of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS). The current version is 2.0.

The filesystem standard has been designed to be used by Unix distribution developers, package developers, and system implementors. However, it is primarily intended to be a reference and is not a tutorial on how to manage a Unix filesystem or directory hierarchy.

FHS Documents, Resources, and Links:

• FHS 2.0 release announcement
• HTML version of FHS 2.0
• PostScript, DVI, text, and troff source versions of FHS 2.0
• Brief listing of major changes since version 1.2. Mind you, comments based solely on this document will be ignored. There are many minor changes that you have to read the standard to absorb.

FHS 2.0

The new FHS standard addresses multi-architecture issues that FSSTND 1.2 (the last version before 2.0) did not anticipate and includes other minor improvements.

In addition, the new standard, while primarily directed at Linux systems, is drafted in a way that any Unix operating system can follow the standard.

The mailing list has been renamed from "linux-fsstnd" to "fhs-discuss". Read the new standard for subscription instructions.

FSSTND 1.2

The FSSTND specified a standard filesystem structure for Linux systems, including the location of files and directories, and the contents of some system files.

Linux FSSTND 1.2 is the old version of the standard. Please stop using it. HTML, PostScript, DVI, LaserJet 4, and plain text versions are available for reference purposes.

16 November, 1997 - Maintained by Daniel Quinlan