Appendix B. Principal Linux Files

Table B-1 describes the principal Linux files. You can use it, for example, to help you locate configuration files quickly.

Table B-1. Principal Linux files

File(s)	Description
/boot/grub/grub.conf	GRUB configuration file
/boot/module-info-*	Module information for the Linux kernel
/boot/System.map-*	Map of the Linux kernel
/boot/vmlinuz-*	Linux kernel
/etc/aliases	Mail aliases
/etc/at.deny	User IDs of users forbidden to use the at command
/etc/auto.master	Configuration file for the autofs daemon, which automatically mounts filesystems
/etc/auto.misc	Automounter map file
/etc/bashrc	Systemwide functions and aliases for the bash shell
/etc/cron.daily/*	Daily cron jobs
/etc/cron.hourly/*	Hourly cron jobs
/etc/cron.monthly/*	Monthly cron jobs
/etc/cron.weekly/*	Weekly cron jobs
/etc/crontab	System cron file
/etc/csh.cshrc	C shell initialization file
/etc/csh.login	C shell login file
/etc/default/useradd	Defaults for the useradd command
/etc/DIR_COLORS	Directory listing colors
/etc/exports	NFS exported directories
/etc/filesystems	Supported filesystem types
/etc/fstab	Filesystems mounted or available for mounting
/etc/group	System group definitions
/etc/host.conf	Resolver configuration file
/etc/hosts	Map of IP numbers to hostnames
/etc/hosts.allow	Hosts allowed to access Internet services
/etc/hosts.deny	Hosts forbidden to access Internet services
/etc/httpd/conf/*	Apache configuration files
/etc/httpd/httpd.conf	Web server configuration file
/etc/initlog.conf	Logging configuration file
/etc/inittab	Configuration for the init daemon, which controls executing processes
/etc/issue	Linux kernel and distribution version
/etc/ld.so.conf	Shared library configuration file
/etc/login.defs	Options for useradd and related commands
/etc/logrotate.conf	Log rotation configuration file
/etc/logrotate.d/*	Scripts to rotate logs
/etc/lpd.conf	Printer configuration file
/etc/lpd.perms	Printer spooler permissions file
/etc/mail/*	Mail server configuration files
/etc/mailcap	metamail MIME information
/etc/man.config	man configuration file
/etc/mime.types	MIME types
/etc/mime-magic*	Magic numbers for MIME data
/etc/minicom.users	User IDs allowed to use minicom
/etc/modules.conf	Aliases and options for loadable kernel modules
/etc/motd	Message of the day
/etc/mtab	Mounted filesystems
/etc/named.conf	BIND configuration file
/etc/nscd.conf	BIND cache configuration file
/etc/nsswitch.conf	Resolver configuration file
/etc/openldap/*	Open LDAP configuration files
/etc/pam.d/*	PAM configuration files
/etc/paper.config	Paper sizes
/etc/passwd	User account information
/etc/ppp/*	PPP configuration
/etc/printcap	Printer options and capabilities
/etc/profile	Default environment for users of the bash shell
/etc/profile.d/*	Shell initialization
/etc/protocols	Protocol names and numbers
/etc/pwdb.conf	pwdb library configuration
/etc/rc	Scripts for system and process startup and shutdown
/etc/init.d/*	SysV initialization scripts
/etc/rc.local	Local startup script
/etc/rc.sysinit	System initialization file
/etc/rc?.d/*	Service start/stop scripts
/etc/rndc.conf	BIND control configuration
/etc/rpc	RPC program number database
/etc/rpm/*	RPM database and configuration files
/etc/samba/*	Samba configuration files
/etc/securetty	Secure tty configuration
/etc/security/*	PAM configuration files
/etc/sensors.conf	libsensors configuration file
/etc/services	Standard service names and numbers
/etc/shadow	Secure user account information
/etc/skel	Skeleton files used to establish new user accounts
/etc/ssh/*	SSH configuration files
/etc/sysconfig/*	System configuration files
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/*	Network adapter configuration files
/etc/sysctl.conf	sysctl configuration file
/etc/syslog.conf	System logging process configuration
/etc/termcap	Terminal capabilities and options
/etc/tux.mime.types	MIME types for Tux web server
/etc/updatedb.conf	updatedb/locate configuration file
/etc/vsftpd*	FTP configuration files
/etc/wvdial.conf	GNOME dialer configuration file
/etc/X11/applnk/*	X application shortcuts
/etc/X11/fs/config	X font server configuration
/etc/X11/gdm/*	GNOME display manager configuration
/etc/X11/prefdm	Display manager configuration file
/etc/X11/xdm/*	X display manager configuration file
/etc/X11/XF86Config	X configuration file
/etc/X11/xinit/Xclients	Default script for xinit
/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc	X session initialization file
/etc/X11/Xmodmap	Key mappings used by xdm and xinit
/etc/xinetd.conf	General xinetd configuration file
/etc/xinetd.d/*	xinetd configuration files for specific servers
/etc/yp.conf	Yellow Pages (NIS) configuration file
/home/*/public_html	User web pages
/root/.bash_history	bash command history for system administrator
/root/.bash_logout	bash logout script for system administrator
/root/.bash_profile	bash initialization script for system administrator
/root/.bashrc	bash options for system administrator
/root/.Xresources	X resources for system administrator
/usr/share/config/*	Miscellaneous configuration files
/usr/share/fonts/*	Fonts
/usr/share/ssl/openssl.cnf	SSL certificate configuration
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/app-defaults/*	X application defaults
/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/*	X fonts
/var/ftp/*	FTP files
/var/log/cron	Log of cron activity
/var/log/httpd/access_log	Log of web server access
/var/log/httpd/error_log	Log of web server errors
/var/log/lastlog	Last login log
/var/log/boot.log	Boot messages
/var/log/cron	Cron log
/var/log/dmesg	Kernel message log
/var/log/maillog	Mail transfer log
/var/log/messages	System log
/var/log/rpmpkgs	RPM package installation log
/var/log/samba/*	Samba logs
/var/log/secure	System security log
/var/log/up2date	Up2date log
/var/named/*	BIND configuration
/var/www/cgi-bin	CGI scripts
/var/www/html/*	Web pages
/var/yp/*	Yellow Pages (NIS) configuration files