Linux File System/Structure Explained!

[@lilrex2015]

I love how this is only 15 minutes long, no sponsor spot, and there is not a single wasted word.

[@JaxVideos]

Too wordy! Study how the original 'man' pages were written. Short koans, short enough to memorize while their full meaning dawned on you over several weeks of field experience.

[@vladimirpain3942]

It is 6 years later and oh boy, content like this is now rare.

[@lilrex2015]

@@vladimirpain3942 if this was a modern video it would have 25 mid roll ads and 2 baked in ads for raid shadow legends and manscape

[@lilrex2015]

@@JaxVideos this is a prime example of when you think you're smart and try to show off only to relieve you're actually just ret arded

[@08386dx]

Put in on 2x and its just 7.5minute long 😂

[@AceTrainerBanjo]

In true Linux fashion, a community member on the internet has been more insightful with their explanation than my college professor. Thank you!

[@percyg77]

facts

[@lm4278]

That's because college isn't there to teach. It's an indoctrination center. It's more concerned wether you are a leftist commie and despite White people.

[@leecowell8165]

Of course! Some of us have been using it longer that makes sense!

[@voskresenie-]

your professor probably doesn't use linux. at most they have a linux server they connect to remotely, but they almost certainly don't use it as a desktop

[@anythingtornadicnet]

5 years old and still one of the most important entry level linux videos I have come across.

[@MaxOakland]

You’re writing very well for a 5 year old!

[@anythingtornadicnet]

@@MaxOakland thanks boss I am trying

[@Libellisth]

Yes this is a very good one. And has aged very well. Can't say the same of Ubuntu and snap. I use arch btw.

[@__________5243]

“Everything is a file” explained so much for me

[@MrMMohsen]

/bin 02:35 /sbin 02:50 /boot 03:22 /cdrom 03:31 /dev 03:38 /etc 04:14 /lib, /lib32, /lib64 05:12 /mnt, /media 05:28 /opt 06:31 /proc 06:59 /root 08:08 /run 08:31 /snap 08:53 /srv 09:08 /sys 09:28 /tmp 09:51 /usr 10:34 /var 11:48 /home 12:15

[@VanStabHolme]

ma man;)

[@faizansyed9060]

Very productive comment , appreciate it!

[@akshaymathur2225]

00:47 does anyone know what that game is ?

[@boros2222]

@@akshaymathur2225 Jazz Jackrabbit

[@OakInch]

Thanks nerd!

[@rikka0_059]

etc - Registry, Local Machine boot - The boot partition bin and sbin - Windows and system32 lib - system32 opt and some bin - Program Files dev and proc has no corresponding windows directories home and root - Users media, mnt and cdrom - drive letters assigned by windows, but ntfs allows you to mount a partition to a folder like in linux

[@JonSnow-yf1ze]

Thanks

[@goldweb6304]

fck u / = not like dump \ etc = cfg boot = boot bin = binary compilated lib = library for bin opt = other shit var = tmp shit root = god usr = multi shit home = hamster shit dev = device dd if=/dev/randomshit of=/yourbrain

[@TheDragShot]

*bin* and *sbin* - system32 and any directories listed in the PATH variable *dev* - This PC, Device Manager *proc* - Task Manager > Details, dxdiag.exe *run* - That one app you use to allocate space in RAM for use as volatile, high-speed storage

[@deniskhakimov]

Dude, you just saved me 15 minutes of life!

[@victornikolov537]

@@TheDragShot , in /proc you can write also which you can't do in Task Manager.

[@shimmeringreflection]

For anybody who has moved from Windows to Linux, this video is essential viewing. Extremely comprehensive, logical, great voice and easy to follow

[@louiseyvette2261]

Great video!! Thanks

[@cybernit3]

Ya, I find this video a good summary to get you started or familiarized.

[@vebdaklu]

True! Helped me a lot to make sense of all the abbreviations.

[@cybernit3]

@@vebdaklu If you go over and over eventually you will memorize the most important directories..etc I think Windows is a beast and messy; compared to Linux.

[@halfxyou]

Definitely helped me a lot

[@davidclifford4536]

I'm teaching my 14 year old grandson the Linux OS and Python programming on the Raspberry pi. He is a willing student and this is the best introduction to the Linux file system I've found. Your work will help launch him on what I'm sure will be a rewarding career. Thank you

[@Doriandotslash]

That’s awesome to hear David and I’m glad this helped you out! I wish him all the best! Thank you 😁

[@arthemis1039]

Best grandfather

[@kjn5991]

At least you have this the easy way.... I am 24 and i might have to teach Linux OS for my granparents if their Windows dies..... And they are the sort of people who think that everything is gone and untraceable after you put it to Trash bin.....

[@RamkrishanYT]

I'm glad that you're doing it with python instead of something like C

[@Kasiarzynka]

I kinda envy him. I'm 22 and only starting to get to know Linux, I used to use Windows everywhere: home, school, now at work (unless I have to do something on a Linux server which is extremely rare or have to deal with something like crashed ESXi host - ESXi is based on Unix/Linux/whatever but follows the same ideas). Since I'm a lazy person (which is why I usually try to automate as much as possible), it's kinda discouraging. That's why I now installed a Ubuntu server at home for my website project and didn't install a GUI for it 😏. Now I simply have to deal with the CLI. Even though I access it over SSH from my Windows laptop 😅.

[@dimitriouchemistry2215]

I always thought that the linux file system was confusing. Now I know that it is confusing!

[@Doriandotslash]

Haha, yes, but it's not that bad ;)

[@dimitriouchemistry2215]

@@Doriandotslash Yeah, I guess I just have to start using it more. It just doesn't feel familiar. I like how everything is in inside of C:/, I wish Linux had a folder like that. It's like the beginning of the yellow brick road.

[@Doriandotslash]

Well, the root folder is where everything is. Like, everything! Including devices and any drives mounted in the system. A lot of those folders are only there for the OS to use. Don’t worry, the more you use it, the more you’ll feel comfortable with it.

[@dimitriouchemistry2215]

@@Doriandotslash That helps, thanks!

[@cokeforever]

@@Doriandotslash it is really non-practical for _user_; likewise Win created abstractions like Users, %appdata%, Program Files making those abstract of DOS heritage (drive volumes)... Linux should too, it will never have a noteable part of desktop market without this and precompiled binaries. Period. p.s. "C" or "D" is much simpler for user to remember than "/mnt/sda1"... *nixes were always sysadmin/netradmin oriented, they should really think of users.

[@internetsnacks150]

I am 60, and about 4 years ago I threw Windows under the bus for Linux, and I am now a happy computer user. Although I mastered the most important basics of the system, your video came to give further insights into that! Thank you very much!

[@progamerbufovi]

Dude why would you throw windows under the bus it took people time to make it so you can look outside

[@internetsnacks150]

@@progamerbufovi Ha ha ha ha I appreciate your sense of humor. Melinda Gates just threw Bill Gates under the bus. Does that ring a bell? If you throw Gates under the bus, how would you access your mansion?

[@progamerbufovi]

@@internetsnacks150 hahahaah

[@progamerbufovi]

@@internetsnacks150 I will drink wine to this one

[@internetsnacks150]

@@progamerbufovi Yeah, but Wine is very limited under Linux. Not all .EXE files work properly. I'd rather drink whisky. 😂😂

[@QualityDoggo]

User: "where is the system located?" Linux: Yes

[@Doriandotslash]

Pretty much sums it up lol

[@ErrorNoInternet]

Windows: you need space? Delete system 32!

[@Doriandotslash]

@@ErrorNoInternet Why not the whole partition? ;)

[@slajacz9238]

@@Doriandotslash what is the name of this distro ? or theme look

[@Yetipfote]

@@ErrorNoInternet That's what flamethrowers are for

[@hyojinkyoma9620]

Been using Linux for years and I’ve never seen anyone explain directories so thoroughly. Always something more to learn. Thank you.

[@Doriandotslash]

Glad you liked it!

[@icesystem7]

finally! some common sense! no ranting, no useless info, no slowed down video, straight to the point and informative! dude, thanks! ps. would be nice to have a printable cheat sheet with this info!

[@abloogywoogywoo]

The Linux 2 golden commandments:- 1. Here are lots of folders. 2. Don't go messing with any of them.

[@boemlauw]

This guy doesn't enforce SElinux :P

[@Chris-tb7jh]

@@boemlauw I find selinux to be like having a huge mansion full of hundreds of rooms, except in front of every doorway is a huge bouncer in a bad mood.

[@hermask815]

Deon Denis if you know what you are doing and know how to deal with the consequences you’re free to do anything, even in real life. Else be careful.

[@Kashifhussainvlogss]

Your pc will die

[@Nunya58294]

@Deon Denis yes absolutely

[@binaryrain5297]

This is one of the best explanations I have seen

[@Salcay]

This video is indeed not bad, however, it only covers the basics. There is a lot more to know about it.

[@stargazer7644]

It isn’t this simple unless you use only one distro. And the made up backronyms for etc and usr are ridiculous. You have to understand the history of Unix for the filesystem layout to make sense. There is no history here.

[@wisteela]

@@Salcay No it's excellent. It covers what people need to know.

[@wisteela]

@@stargazer7644 Does that really matter?

[@Salcay]

@@wisteela No. There is a lot more to know about it, and this only covers the basics. As a former Linux instructor myself, please let me know what I am saying!

[@hhdhpublic]

After some 15 years of using linux I guess its as good time as any to actually learn the linux file system structure :D

[@leecowell8165]

WOW! have NO idea how you could have avoided it for so long!

[@ppt31788]

This was incredibly useful. I've owned and used computers since 1978, starting with a Commodore PET, and been a programmer etc but never messed with Linux much. I just started setting up a virtual Linux server on AWS and this folder structure overview was exactly what I was looking for, very well done explanation - thank you again.

[@solar9137]

wow that's cool

[@andrewhancock2451]

I remember the PET! I also remember using punch cards in highschool.

[@rock3tcatU233]

I seem to have stumbled upon a golden nugget with this video.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you :)

[@atlas6397]

azul

[@dexd.5971]

@@atlas6397 makaynch chi 7aja smteha Azul

[@dexd.5971]

@@atlas6397 hhh wakha mnhdarch al7a9i9a maghadich tebadal kab9a l7a9i9a hia hia Azul satazul surtt m3a l3ilm DNA gal anaho barbar 9lal f chamal afri9ia

[@atlas6397]

@@dexd.5971 dna taygol anna ga3 nnas d chamal ifriqia barbar, sir tqawwad, mal dil mmok m7achach

[@slowheat4651]

You are teaching me much more than my instructor has in 5 months in 16 mins without myself getting confused. Seriously though thanks for this!

[@thankarezos]

"next is boot, this is a folder you dont want to play around with" me: plays with the grub folder like there is no tommorow

[@Doriandotslash]

Haha well, you shouldn’t if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you know what you’re doing then all is fair game 😎

[@catlord69]

make sure to use timeshift :)

[@thankarezos]

@@Doriandotslash I mostly know. But even if i make a mistake as long i dont lose any important files its ok.

[@krozareq]

Doesn't hurt to keep a backup of your root partition. But if you break something, load up the live USB, mount it and chroot on over. Hard to break anything if you know what you're doing or willing to research and learn. Most anything you want to configure for GRUB is going to be in /etc/grub.d/ anyways unless you're themeing it. In that case, carry on and keep a backup :D

[@AndersJackson]

if you are a beginner, you shouldn't change that unless you are prepared to learn how to fix it and might even reinstall the OS. Then a separate partition for /home is a good thing. :-)

[@flyhouseoftruth470]

Create an OS and call it "DOORS" .. Are you tired of just looking out of Windows?, Try walking through DOORS, Information worldwide within your grasp. Opening up a new world to it's users.

[@Doriandotslash]

OMG That's awesome lol

[@michaelthompson7217]

Reading that, got flashbacks of IBM/Rational DOORS...

[@kemasolar]

what about making it even bigger and calling it: GATES!! oh, no wait...

[@abdifatahimohamed2373]

Hilarious!

[@markarca6360]

@@kemasolar That rhymes well with Bill ... Gates.

[@ZeeThirtythree]

been dabbling with linux for over 16 years never seen something so concise and detailed. every general question without going to deep into the wormhole. great video! thank you. subbed.

[@robertd1965]

I've been using (and in many cases) perplexed by the file system in multiple flavors of Linux over the years (honestly, I don't know what every single file/folder in Windows does either), but this short video increased my comfort level greatly. Thanks for putting it up!

[@eugenew2]

I remember for the first few years, i had no idea what was where. The most I learned about linux was "Well, I know not to delete/change that file/folder. Time to reinstall from scratch.".

[@bobgreene2892]

As newbies will discover, most of the heavy lifting is in the first 10 percent. Thanks to you. Dorian, we have a stairway to bypass the mindlessly trivial details (which otherwise loom larger than they should). Those who also know DOS (even MS) from earlier days, will see patterns emerge to file and folder conventions, and begin to see light at the end of the tunnel. We subscribed, of course.

[@TaiViinikka]

Thanks Dorian. I really, really needed this! Unfortunately I needed it in 1994. But that's not your fault! Well done.

[@Doriandotslash]

Haha yes I would have also liked knowing this in the 90’s lol

[@sweetpoodle]

I have not came across a better explanation of Linux than what you have put on your channel. Thank you for explaining this in a way that even a beginner like myself can learn. Some videos I’ve seen just jump into the terminal and you’re left bewildered, trying to understand another language at times. I hope you come out with more content because you are definitely doing the world some good.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks very much! 😁

[@anthonynunyabizness9989]

I really appreciated this video my man. It's a daunting task for an absolute novice with computers to learn linux. I needed to start somewhere and this was a great start by learning wtf my directories are for. Your explanations were clear and concise, no clutter, no confusion. Thank you.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it!

[@sacha6dh]

Thank you so much for this! It was rather intimidating to think that I was going to force myself to learn what seems like an absolute mess, but it's so simple, efficient and makes sense now!

[@Doriandotslash]

I'm glad you found it informative! Thanks :)

[@tye3791]

You've covered more things than my teacher had in 2 semesters. Sub and liked!

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks so much!

[@zorojuro5106]

u proves another factor we don't need universities any more

[@wahabfiles6260]

10 bucky?

[@Alan_is_here]

@Andrew_koala here is a modern day language: Fuck off.

[@psybin]

@Andrew_koala Hey troll, don't be a pedant if you can't spell nonetheless correctly. Bastardize and language aren't proper nouns, so don't capitalize them. Your third "sentence" is a fragment, not a proper sentence. I won't even ask what this Sv=immon rubbish is... Tii's use of the English language is better than yours. You failed miserably.

[@johnsheikh3831]

New to Linux and just started a Dev internship. Thank you so much helped me conceptualize everything easier

[@indikaUO]

Network Admin and Security college student here. Thank you very much for your contribution. This video is now stored in my "Tutorials" folder for future reference. Also Subscribed. Thank you so much for this explanation!!

[@Doriandotslash]

Glad you found it informative :) Cheers!

[@michealocathain676]

I'm 50 sec in, and this is HILARIOUS.... subscribed ! I love the linux file system, and appreciate smarter and less short-sighted people than me, with EXCELLENT design instincts are responsible....

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks! 😁

[@zeromusreal]

I like how he is still actively reading comments to this day

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks for noticing! Yes I do read all my comments and try hard to reply to every one. Although sometimes there are too many and the odd one slips past me 🙂 Cheers and thanks for the comment! 👍

[@MrMikey1703]

Thanks so much man. This has helped me immensely! I’ve been an IT professional supporting Windows environments for over 20 years and am only just getting serious about Linux at home now. The tutorial is terrific at giving an overview without being daunting. Well done and now I don’t feel overwhelmed at the idea of installing a non GUI distro. Cent OS here I come!

[@SQUID_Road_Glide]

OMG! I built computers, was a Micro Miniature Technician, studied RPG/COBOL. Dorian, you are quite simply what we call in the Navy a “Knowledge House” Subscribed “RING”

[@nibblrrr7124]

10:35 *usr* is better thought of as *universal system resources.* The connection to "user" is mostly historic (used to contain user home directories like _/home/_ does now.) Nowadays, It's shared by all users, generally isn't user-writeable, and should only be modified via the package manager. (Custom apps belong in _/usr/local/bin/_ ; users can install into _~/.local/bin/_ ) In some distros like Arch, _/bin/_ & _/sbin/_ are just symlinked to _/usr/bin/_ , as specified in *file-hierarchy.7* for systemd.

[@Doriandotslash]

Yep, some historical references have still stuck around though. And many have made up their own versions of what they stand for, which have also stuck around. Regardless of what they actually stand for, what's important is that you know what's inside :). As for the Arch thing (also Manjaro, Antergos etc), yes they made changes, which is what I mentioned at the beginning of the video. Cheers!

Usr move is pretty standard now. Systemd revised some old concepts by bringing new concepts from solaris. @@Doriandotslash

[@siodhe]

Note that /home is NOT a standard, and home directories can be in, and in large sites MUST be in, lots of other places. Developers who can't get this through their heads (like the Snap developers as of 2024) cause lots of trouble to large sites.

[@emv2280]

This a goldmine of a video! Especially for a student, this takes the boring lectures to a fun and interactive level that makes it easier to learn. The graphics and explaining are great, and a bonus point for humor 😁 especially in the beginning. 10/10

[@zephyrfpv9871]

This should be lesson 1 for all new linux users! Thank you sir!!! o7

[@user-or4ut2qi3q]

usr is not short for user, but Unix system resources and it is for system-wide read-only files. The distinction between /bin/ and /usr/bin/ is a relic from the past. (Before /home/ and when usr really was short for user.) Actually on my system, /bin/ is a symbolic link to /usr/bin/. You shouldn't mess with /usr/. /usr/local/ should be pretty much empty when you install Linux and that's where your system-wide read-only files should go. There is also ~/.local/ which is your personal /usr/local/ for resources other users don't need to be able to access. Great video by the way!

[@mattsadventureswithart5764]

There's a unix promo video from at&t where Brian Kernighan is talking about the system and refers to, and pronounces, this directory as user. Given that he was there right at the very start of unix, working with Ken Thompson, I'm going to continue listening to him.

[@user-or4ut2qi3q]

@@mattsadventureswithart5764 yes, usr originally stood for user. Now it stands for user system resources. User directories are now stored in /home/.

[@user-or4ut2qi3q]

@@mattsadventureswithart5764 Google it, check the Linux documentation, do what you need to do brother

[@costa200]

Got interested in Linux recently (after using a live CD to do some recovering on a windows PC). Watching this I can understand now why programmers often use it. Everything is much more accessible on a level that would require specific tools on Windows. However, this also explains why Linux can't get a break on normal desktop user market. Windows is just a lot simpler and does everything for you and you forget it exists. As an OS should do with an end user that just wants to use their computer without having to actually learn things above a certain level!

[@mandrakethemadcoder]

Windows has gotten to a level where it actively gets in your way for a lot of people. It gets worse as the version numbers climb.

[@rolingpingu]

Good lord, a million thanks for this video. It was so clear, I've been using linux for 10 years and I have never taken the time to understand this before!

[@DamienSawyer]

You've shone a light on something which has confused me for years! Thank you!

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks 😁

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

Superb. I give Linux a try every year, and abandon it at the first, _"You enable/fix that with the following 16 long lines of mysterious text and commands,"_ but have always wondered about the file system's structure. Thanks. _"I'm sorry Noob, I can't do that from a click. You will need to find the 6 esoteric commands and their obscure switches needed to make me do that"_

[@Doriandotslash]

Issues are often common and many users will get a given error based on their hardware, or some kind of failure. This means that googling that error usually leads you straight to a solution which is often something you can just copy and paste into your terminal 😎

[@bologna3048]

@@Doriandotslash the problem is some of those "Solutions" will take you all afternoon to solve, and believe it or not people will put up with Win10 forced updates instead lol you still end up having to punch in line after line after line still completely unsure of what the heck you're doing.

[@Doriandotslash]

@@bologna3048 Sounds like you guys are using the wrong distro... Try something else. You know the definition of insanity right?

[@seraphina985]

@@Doriandotslash Also there is the simple fact that explaining the procedure to fix the problem as open terminal and enter this command is often much easier than writing out step by step directions to handhold the user through the GUI to do the same. Lets face it if you gave most users the option of being guided through a complex multi step process or just pasting some magic words that make the problem go away they are going to pick the latter, most users just want the problem to go away they really don't care to get more involved than that.

[@Corodius]

Perhaps OpenSUSE might be worth a look for you? A lot of the esoteric commands and terminal based configs are consolidated in a GUI interface through YaST

[@jahmanichauvet360]

Wow, wow, finally I get and understand the Linux file system. Thanks for patching my Linux know how.

[@prestonashworthmusic]

This was a pretty good breakdown, striking a good balance of context while maintaining the focus on each topic. Well done and very useful!

[@fahadfarooq155]

looking for the C drive [scary music] had me laughing so hard...

[@Doriandotslash]

:D

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

if someone really, really, really wants to, they could probably mount it to a folder "C" somewhere in their home directory and call it a day.

[@karimm.elsayad9539]

Anyone knows the name of that music?

[@seamac2537]

@@karimm.elsayad9539 Classic Horror Movie ... it has become a trope. kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5aQh5t5bs6YnpI It is from an Alfred Hitchcock movie called "Psycho"

[@eMorphized]

C is mounted to /

[@alejandromarin9661]

Hey I found this vid extremely useful and faster than reading the manual, thanks

[@edwinchen7729]

Awesome informative tutorial for a new Linux user, thanks!!

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks Edwin! There will me more to come ;)

[@oldrandomcomputing6247]

Thanks for appearing in my recommended.

[@Doriandotslash]

I try! lol Thanks for watching :)

[@chuckdevdevdev]

This is one of the best explanation of linux file system i've seen so far, thanks you so much!

[@jaxparrow1794]

Man, this is one of THE MOST USEFUL videos i have ever seen. Thank you! Cheers!

[@asdfghjkl1770]

Im 15 yr old, started learning coding. I find this video super helpful, great explanation..... Thanks from Bangladesh !

[@Doriandotslash]

That's fantastic! Good luck on the coding, it's a very useful skill! Cheers and thank you :)

[@asdfghjkl1770]

@@Doriandotslash you just inspired me! Keep teaching us!

[@MrJx4000]

Don't dismiss or ignore the historical developments of retail PC systems and hardware. I can't believe how good this video is as a background primer.

[@traewatkins931]

Im a dev and spent most of my career in working in windows and have been able to "get around" in linux just enough to do my job or tweak things ... but this really has cleared a lot for me. THANK YOU

[@billfisk3323]

Excellent presentation and very informative. I've used Linux for a few years now but never really learned about this. You did a great job explaining all the different folders that to a Windows guy were a bit confusing. Thank you so much. I really was well done. I learned a lot.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks Bill! My entire channel is dedicated to helping new Linux users as well as veterans alike. I also try to keep it somewhat easy to understand while being informative. Thanks for watching!

[@setheheart4911]

Love this style of teaching. Tangible applicable examples and direct to the point communication. Thanks a ton mate!

[@beautifullybrilliant7542]

0:27 I remember, MS-DOS! Probably because I was like seven years old when my mother brought home a computer from work; her and my stepfather work for the government of Canada working in the technology sector in the 80s 90s and early 2000s and because they were in the middle management. They got to bring home a computer and we are one 800 number phone line actually hooked up in our house too weird things haven’t heard MS-DOS since I was a little kid. Thanks for the throwback :-)

[@arun6106]

Very well explained indeed! Can see the hard work you've put in into the making of this video! Thumbs up! Subscribed.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you very much! I appreciate it :)

[@dowskivisionmagicaloracle8593]

6:30 /opt is where any software not managed by your package manager and not compliant with FHS is installed. if it's not managed by your package manager but is FHS compliant then it goes into /usr/local. Doesn't matter if it's vendor software, homebrew, or old UNIX applications other than the fact that these tend not to be compliant with FHS.

[@joshgelias]

I've been using Linux as my daily driver for 4 years (from Windows) and I found this extremely useful.

[@AnthonyWest]

Me: Plays around with directories until things break, then restores snapshot.

[@szabolcsmate5254]

... until you break your ability to restoer a snapshot. ;)

[@Doriandotslash]

HUGE Thank you to Curlindus for his hard work in writing the Russian translation for this video! Cheers! If anyone else would like to translate this or any of my other videos into any language just let me know!

[@Doriandotslash]

Mihai Alexandru Manolescu that would be fantastic! Please do 🤗 If you're not sure how, let me know and I'll help you out!

[@sinestesia1992]

Hey DorianDotSlash. Thanks for this great video! Really! Although I have been a Linux user for almost for a decade, I never deepened into one of the most fundamental system basis. And now, thanks to you, I finally got to understand the structure. In return, and following the example of @Curlindus, i'm making the spanish subtitles for the videos. It'll be uploaded very soon. Regards!

[@Rangerman9404]

I'm brand new to Linux, so videos like this one are very helpful. Since I'm a "learn by doing" person, I'll be rewatching this, and other videos like it on my main (Windows) PC while I have one of my Linux based laptops set up and running. My Linux "drug of choice" right now is Mint, so anyone who can point me to videos geared toward that distro, feel free to comment on this and steer me in the right general direction.

[@kasichennupati]

Just the thing I am looking for. It would be really great if you make a video about complete windows to Linux migration. Many people start with Linux and switch back to windows just because of the familiar applications. if you make a video about the Linux applications similar to windows version apps( similar functionality ) and their installation basic usage Like: Coding environment setup ( C CPP python ) One note, Excel word alternatives. Photoediting video editing sound editing Finance application-- money manager accounts manager Project management tools (2 apps) Download managers Games( 2,3d, ) don't know if VR is possible Many would love to see this in one vid or a series playlist. Since many Linux tutorials think they are making any sense but they are really not. because they think the users are already Linux experts I took me over a year to do this complete migration myself. So there many who would love to see this type of content This is my opinion / request

[@shuwan4games]

vr is possible for linux and will get better when the steam index comes out

[@KuraIthys]

VR, like most things is a driver problem. And that leaves you in the hands of the headset manufacturers and their whims and/or proprietary drivers (or open source if you get lucky) 3d graphics cards have similar issues. Though I assume that mostly works nowadays - because it certainly didn't work consistently a decade ago... Getting hardware accelerated 3d working on a linux system a decade ago was an exercise in extreme frustration... I'm sure things have improved since then... At least, I hope they have. VR will catch up, no doubt.

[@shuwan4games]

@@KuraIthys vr does currently work through proton

[@Eneryize]

@@KuraIthys Precisely. The reason I went back to Windows on my main PC is because I couldn't play my games normally. Still Linux on laptop though.

[@82thamonk]

Proton for steam gaming on linux has come a long way..getting pretty good frames almost matching windows experience on most of my games

[@StaticReplication]

Awesome!!! I'v been using Linux for years and had yet to learn all of that.

[@epicureand1948]

I just did the jump from Windows to Pop_OS and, while being a little overwhelmed by all the new things to master, old habits to forget, etc. I must say that I am really impressed by the level of customization and overall control that a user can get on Linux. After so many years as a Windows user, understanding the file system structure was a struggle until I stumbled upon this Incredibly useful video. From a Dorian to another, many thanks!

[@Naaka_311]

Still using pop?

[@WilLSOwNs]

Thanks for the refresher, it’s been almost two decades since I’ve messed with Linux, I used to use Unix at my job and now I want to get into it again on my new laptop because I hate windows.

[@TheKahim]

you deserve more subscribers, great channel contents.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you! I'm hoping to get more every day ;)

[@ceebs648]

So “simple” and elegant! I’m new to Linux and this really helped, thanks.

[@brainplot]

Great video! I've watched a few videos trying to explain how the Linux file system is structured and I think this is the best. On a side note, I have no idea how you can say that this structure may look "messy". Windows' file system is literally a garbage mess! I use both Linux and Windows and I can fairly easily keep my Linux installation very clean over time. Windows, on the other hand, is files scattered everywhere in the system installed by God knows what. The lack of a package manager makes this problem even worse, since very little is shared across different programs on Windows. As a result, you find duplicate dependencies installed by different programs, thus more storage gets used. Linux file system is an OCD person's room, in comparison! :)

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks! Yes some windows users think Linux is a mess but that’s only because everything in Windows is hidden in the Windows and Program Files folders. Windows was an OS installed in an OS (DOS) but Linux IS the OS.

[@TheBenJiles]

Great video! Thank goodness for random KZbin Recommendations... they always know what I want lol

[@matthewkabeya9]

the government is watching

[@alexanderbell6284]

Same

[@GoldenHat333]

I have watched this many times over the years as reminder doses. Still a great video after 6 years.

[@itumelengseeletsa6910]

Well explained. To me, it sounds like it's well crafted.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks Blake! Cheers!

[@dstinnettmusic]

0:20 That feel is real.

[@puma-x]

This was the best explanation about linux directories that I saw.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you very much!

[@GooogleGoglee]

Amazing video! Thank you! Cannot wait for the next one

[@patrickdark3077]

Well, now I finally know what “bin” means after ~20 years of seeing it.

[@Doriandotslash]

:D

[@danavram8437]

What did you think it was? Trash bin?

[@wahabfiles6260]

lol, i always though it was something related to recycle bin!

[@newwavex8665]

It's still confusing, you never need to use now /usr/bin or /usr/local/bin/

[@herrbonk3635]

It should have been named exe (executable) though. All files are binary, not just the executable ones.

[@jimboelterdotcomm9153]

Excellent - short, to the point, way more understandable to the newbie than most of the Linux and Unit stuff out there. Thank you!

[@StormyHotwolf88]

Wow, thanks for this explanation. It's kinda crazy how accessible damaging files are in Linux compared to Windows.

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you! That is true, however, you need root permission to delete system files so it's hard to do it by accident. Same with deleting the hidden folders which hold your settings, you would have to purposely show hidden files and delete them. Thanks for watching :)

[@KuraIthys]

Define 'accessible.' XD. Most of the things that would seriously cripple a windows system if you deleted them are in one of only a handful of locations. And pretty much 99% of it is in the Windows folder itself. (some of the less obvious stuff being config data in parts of the user folders. - particularly the hidden folders like AppData) Windows however does tend to try and hide things from people... Probably because by it's nature it had to be moderately idiotproof. Still, dealing with Unix-likes has always bothered me because of how few safeguards most of them have against doing colossally stupid things. It's usually handwaived away as saying that if you know what you're doing it won't be a problem, but there are tons of examples of System Admins making absurd and unrecoverable mistakes in a moment of lapsed attention, or because of a minor typo, because there's simply no safeguards (or at least, there weren't many - even as recently as a decade ago) - if you mistype a command and run it, it will just run, with whatever consequences that has. (some of which can be extremely convoluted and also somewhat amusing) The 'everything is a file' mentality is very much a double-edged sword. So is another common Unix idea, the pipe. Then, many utilities existed which have no safeguards. Most dos utilities (and windows ones, though in a GUI it's less likely to be relevant since the GUI itself limits the scope of possible stupid things you can do by accident.) have one or more layers of confirmation that ask you if you are sure you want to do that, especially if what you're doing has potentially dangerous consequences. Many unix utilities, traditionally lack any such protections, even as options. Now, if you use the Windows shell and run a command with an option to disable confirmation, you can do similar kinds of damage - though the scope of what kind of damage you can do is still indirectly limited because there is a distinction between a file and other concepts like devices, but you'd have to explicitly include a flag to disable warnings - this is important because there ARE tasks where the warnings would mean you have to spend hours babying the process to get anything done, which defeats the purpose sometimes... But not even having any such warnings in the first place is... Risky, in more routine uses. Still, it's neither here nor there. - they have their upsides and downsides. I don't like Linux because I fundamentally dislike the underlying principles of Unix. Unfortunately, when you dislike something like that your options are limited, because there aren't many Operating systems that aren't Unix derivatives, and even those which aren't are still contaminated by aspects of it. For instance, did you know that Windows is POSIX compliant? (and has been for a very long time. Pretty much every NT derivative has been like this) If you don't know what that is, it means it contains subsystems that follow a set of UNIX-related standards, and complies with all the requirements that imposes. Of course, just recently they talked about including some weird kind of linux build into windows as some kind of component... So... Yeah. Can't get away from the damn thing if your life depended on it. XD I mean, Windows is POSIX compliant and will soon have a linux subsystem. Modern Mac OS is a BSD derivative Android is built around a linux kernel. (this is hidden really well, but get some tools that can really poke around in the file system and it becomes pretty obvious.) And, besides that what's really left? Various DOS clones, an open source clone of windows 2000. Haiku I guess. And technically AmigaOS has still been getting updates, but that only works if you've got a PowerPC based system of some kind... Ah well. Guess I'll just have to get over it and learn to repress that disdain... XD All that aside, Good video though. Very informative. There is method to the madness of unix filesystems... But then, that was never my problem with unix derivatives in the first place so... Anyway... Never mind. I swear, 20 years later and linux still manages to annoy me for no apparent reason. XD And yet, a modern linux distro is nowhere near as harsh and cruel to deal with as Debian Circa 1998...

[@rajeshnayak8492]

0:04 Did I see a Adobe software on linux on left panel?

[@Doriandotslash]

Correct!

[@rajeshnayak8492]

@@Doriandotslash but there isn't any adobe software available on linux right?

[@boltez6507]

​@@rajeshnayak8492you can make them all work in hacky ways.

[@Hasib-CR7i]

How? ​@@Doriandotslash

[@InOppositiontotheNewWorldOrder]

I saved this video to my 'Watch Later' list, since I need to review stuff like this 7 or 8 times before I can really say: "I understand." Great job.

[@mikejzx]

Excellent video. Very informative and clearly explained in a simplistic way.

[@abyssstrider2547]

I actually knew that bin was program files, mostly through android file exploration

[@phs125]

Me too

[@WillsJazzLoft]

This is really excellent. I'll need to watch it a second time with my file manager open so that I can click along with you. My diistro is Zorin OS Core 16.3. I've made a transcript from the video

[@herrbonk3635]

In DOS and Mac, the hierarchical (nested) folders were like a benefit and tool for the end user. They were free to organize as we pleased and as they suited us. In UNIX/Linux, it's the other way round. The user being a slave under some random rigid structure created by hairy hackers in the 70/80s. That's the impression I always get from these tutorials.

[@SergeantExtreme]

^^^ This is the only honest comment in this entire video's comment section.

[@ChrisWijtmans]

You sound retarded and clueless.

[@saulo13184]

Very good explanation. Thanks a lot.

[@Merlin64-nb1tj]

Great overview of the Linux file system, when a person has a talent for explaining a topic it shows. 👍

[@AndersJackson]

I would install my own programs in /usr/local/bin (and lib man etc), as that is early in the list of directories to look for programs (the environment variable PATH). Actually, /usr/local is made for system admins to install programs for every user. Great explanation for beginners though, thanks. I might reference this for my courses.

[@parha123]

4:28 This Pause is enclosing the Silence of 1000 Deaths.

[@Doriandotslash]

lol *sips water*

[@martinwilkinson2344]

This was great, a quick refresher gallop around Linux for a techie who hasn't touched it/Unix for 30 years! This is the video equivalent of 'C' - succinct, efficient and needs some familiarity to get everything out of it!

[@OddStare]

I like the "everything is a file" approach, i just wish they were better labeled and organised

[@HappyBeezerStudios]

Since stuff can be mounted to more than one place, one could simply add mount points that are more user readable. Doesn't change that the system uses the same paths it did before.

[@batchampa]

The NTFS file system is actually case sensitive like *nix, but the tools in windows default to it being case sensitive. It means things can get confusing if you dual boot and create two files with the same name with different cases

[@Nitramynot]

Every once in a while I end up watching this video. Man this is gold!

[@stroggwars]

thnx good tutorial, i'm playing around with linux these days i see this very informative

[@Doriandotslash]

Thank you, I'm glad you found it informative. Be sure to check out the rest of my channel! :)

[@theyreMineralsMarie]

Unless you're installing Arch, Gentoo or any other hyper customizable distro, most of these system folders never need to be touched by the user.

[@bologna3048]

@@philuhhh mmmmno it's definitely more complicated, linux filesystem puts symlinks all over the damn place so you can find the same file in multiple locations. Also it's linux, the user CAN spend their time outside of the filesystem but realistically you're going to have to fuck with it all the time and run command lines to do what windows users consider "simple" tasks. For example: Downloading software. It's all nice and dandy when you're pulling down something off the software manager but the software manager doesn't have everything someone would need, so how do you install new software? Most of the time it's command lines, sometimes it's packed into a nice little installer, and other times you have to freakin' build it. POP!_OS is probably the closest thing to what most windows users are used to.

[@flaffinator7307]

The average, every day user, sure. But there's always going to be those power users, admins, scientists, software developers, etc. that access the file system practically on a daily basis.

[@JerryBananaa]

As a Mac and jailbroken iPhone user, i always wondered what those folders meant. This video solved my curiosity. Thanks!

[@Doriandotslash]

Glad it helped!

[@hecker9973]

"Looking for the C drive" Me who installed it on pendrive 👁👄👁

[@eMorphized]

Imagine booting Win10 from drive A

[@glowinthedark9082]

i like how you relate things together. other videos felt like someone reading off a script

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks! That’s why I didn’t just go in order as they appear. Made more sense this way.

[@pmarreck]

KZbin recommendations win AGAIN!!

[@Doriandotslash]

Sometimes it's great ;)

[@callumevans77]

I'm so glad I found this, you've got my sub!

[@Doriandotslash]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@ericapelz260]

This is the best explanation of the Linux file system I have seen. I'm not a noob, but definitely not entirely comfortable in Linux either. I learned a lot. Thank you!