---
name: "hier"
section: "7"
platform: "macos"
package: "files"
version: "974.120.2"
release: "macOS 26.5"
platforms: ["linux", "freebsd", "openbsd", "macos"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/hier"
---

# hier(7)

layout of filesystems

## NAME

**hier** – layout of filesystems

## DESCRIPTION

A historical sketch of the filesystem hierarchy. The modern OS X filesystem is documented in the “File System Programming Guide” available on Apple Developer.

- /

  root directory of the filesystem

- /bin/

  user utilities fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments

- /dev/

  block and character device files

  - fd/

    file descriptor files; see [fd(4)](/fd/4.md)

- /etc/

  system configuration files and scripts

- /mach\_kernel

  kernel executable (the operating system loaded into memory at boot time).

- /sbin/

  system programs and administration utilities fundamental to both single-user and multi-user environments

- /tmp/

  temporary files

- /usr/

  contains the majority of user utilities and applications

  - bin/

    common utilities, programming tools, and applications

  - include/

    standard C include files

    - arpa/

      C include files for Internet service protocols

    - hfs/

      C include files for HFS

    - machine/

      machine specific C include files

    - net/

      misc network C include files

    - netinet/

      C include files for Internet standard protocols; see [inet(4)](/inet/4.md)

    - nfs/

      C include files for NFS (Network File System)

    - objc/

      C include files for Objective-C

    - protocols/

      C include files for Berkeley service protocols

    - sys/

      system C include files (kernel data structures)

    - ufs/

      C include files for UFS

  - lib/

    archive libraries

  - libexec/

    system daemons & system utilities (executed by other programs)

  - local/

    executables, libraries, etc. not included by the basic operating system

  - sbin/

    system daemons & system utilities (executed by users)

  - share/

    architecture-independent data files

    - calendar/

      a variety of pre-fab calendar files; see [calendar(1)](/calendar/1.md)

    - dict/

      word lists; see [look(1)](/look/1.md)

      - web2

        words from Webster's 2nd International

      - words

        common words

    - man/

      manual pages

    - misc/

      misc system-wide ascii text files

    - mk/

      templates for make; see [make(1)](/make/1.md)

    - skel/

      example . (dot) files for new accounts

    - tabset/

      tab description files for a variety of terminals; used in  the termcap file; see [termcap(5)](/termcap/5.md)

    - zoneinfo/

      timezone configuration information; see [tzfile(5)](/tzfile/5.md)

- /var/

  multi-purpose log, temporary, transient, and spool files

  - at/

    timed command scheduling files; see [at(1)](/at/1.md)

  - backups/

    misc. backup files

  - db/

    misc. automatically generated system-specific database files

  - log/

    misc. system log files

  - mail/

    user mailbox files

  - run/

    system information files describing various info about system since it was booted

    - utmpx

      database of current users; see [utmpx(5)](/utmpx/5.md)

  - spool/

    misc. printer and mail system spooling directories

    - mqueue/

      undelivered mail queue; see [sendmail(8)](/sendmail/8.md)

  - tmp/

    temporary files that are kept between system reboots

  - folders/

    per-user temporary files and caches

## SEE ALSO

[ls(1)](/ls/1.md), [apropos(1)](/apropos/1.md), [whatis(1)](/whatis/1.md), [whereis(1)](/whereis/1.md), [finger(1)](/finger/1.md), [which(1)](/which/1.md), [find(1)](/find/1.md), [grep(1)](/grep/1.md), [fsck(8)](/fsck/8.md)

## HISTORY

A **hier** manual page appeared in Version 7 AT&T UNIX.