Linux Crash Course: Navigating the Linux Filesystem

In today's episode of Linux Crash Course, I go over the basics of the Linux filesystem, as well as some commands you would use to navigate it. Also, I'll describe the purpose of some of the more common directories.
📖 Check out Jay's latest book, Mastering Ubuntu Server 4th Edition. Covers Ubuntu 22.04!
➡️ ubuntuserverbook.com
🙌 Support me on Patreon and get early access to new content!
➡️ learnlinux.link/patron
☁️ Get $100 toward your own cloud server with Linode!
➡️ linode.com/learnlinuxtv
📖 Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
➡️ refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/...
🛒 Affiliate store for Linux compatible hardware/accessories (commission earned):
➡️ learnlinux.link/amazon
💻 Check out the Tiny Pilot KVM for your Homelab (commission earned):
➡️ learnlinux.link/tinypilot
🐦 Follow me on Twitter!
➡️ learnlinux.link/twitter
💬 Official LearnLinux.tv Community:
➡️ community.learnlinux.tv
💽 How to create a bootable flash drive for installing Linux
➡️ linux.video/flash-usb
🐧 Which distro do I use?
➡️ learnlinux.link/mydistro
🔐 How to better secure OpenSSH:
➡️ linux.video/secure-ssh
☁️ How to create a cloud Linux server with Linode:
➡️ learnlinux.link/create-linode
👨 More about me:
➡️ www.jaylacroix.com
➡️ www.learnlinux.tv/about-me
#LearnLinuxTV #FileSystem #CLI

[@RollerCoasterLineProductions]

Linux newb here w several raspberry pi’s running docker, containers, cameras, Plex and OMV LOL, much needed - thanks for posting!

[@tramellmalone9146]

Love your relaxed demeanor. I've paid for Linux courses and they weren't as helpful as this 30 min snip-it. I look forward to learning more. Thanks!!

[@CJ1337HF]

Thank you so much for the videos! You've been my guide through linux, starting from Ubuntu then manjaro and finally making my very first Arch build last weekend. Keep up the great work and thanks again!

[@abhimudaliar1064]

Explanation is always TO THE POINT. SPOT ON !

[@ngreed]

I enjoy the content and format of your video's please keep them coming.

[@johnnymh1111]

Great explanation, the examples were very helpful. Thank you.

[@kevinmjomba3394]

As always, great content man ⚡. Thanks a lot 👌🏾

[@vincentdufour9572]

Thanks for sharing Jay, great job!

[@user-ph9hx3dp1w]

Thank you very much for this in-depth explanation of the linux system file hierarchy.

[@darren537]

I needed this thanks

[@JavisoGaming]

Great video! Thanks. I love Jay’s voice. So soothing. Borderline ASMR.

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, Jay. Good stuff.

[@ysegrim9824]

thank you - highly appreciate your understanding of a beginner point of view in your presentation and examples. lol please make a video in which you talk all day about the linux file system. seems like when i get really familiar with it i would be way faster managing my files in the terminal compared to what im used to from windows explorer.

[@CesarPeron]

Always welcome. thanks for this

[@bhupendersinghb]

Nicely explained 👍

[@RicardoTRueda]

Thanks a lot Jay, great video iii greetings from Madrid.

[@philippossnortis2035]

Thanks for this video! Do you have any book to learn linux from the basics to the top?

[@yonisapir6270]

Awesome video, thank you. Question, can you remove a folder with 'rmdir' or do you have to do 'rm -r'?

[@SlideRSB]

22:30 I've never actually seen a volume get auto-mounted to /media by default. Just about evey desktop environment I've used on Linux seems to mount everything under /run/media/ or /run/user/uid/gvfs.

[@browneyedbabes7863]

Thank you very much for this video!

[@marcin2x4]

Love the filesystem definitions you provided. On the other hand, what you think about WSL2? Is it a good alternative to dual-boot setup?

[@Whoknowsthatman]

Thank you master Jay 👍🏽

[@bibekshaw7745]

Video is very helpful

[@vinodkumar-cs4xi]

Thanks a lot for this

[@rickcontreras4943]

Awesome teacher

[@jnkof8097]

can you answer these question please. 1-Display the detail information with the human readable size of the /etc/passwd directory 2-Display all of the files in a /etc/udev directory as well as all of the files in all subdirectories under that directory. 3-Display the detail information with the sorted file size of the Documents directory. 4-Change the working directory to root directory.

[@rahul875]

Awesome tutorial I m not able to mount the drive properly every time I mount the drive at the time of booting or shutdown file block message appeared in the black screen

[@prettybirdbeenlpeacock6592]

Thanks so much Jay for making this video. I really needed this simplified explanation. Never knew what the ~ stood for. Whatn does the $ stand for?

[@flipinfin]

PATH Variable

[@xrafter]

rmdir and rm -d can be used both to delete empty directories .

[@guilherme5094]

Thanks.

[@davidanderson2436]

Would have been nice to know why you removed the / when using the mv command - one of my toughest battles to / or not to /

[@sanjeev2003]

Hi Jay! I have a question which is completely irrelevant to the video. These days most of the cloud providers comes with lode-balancer be it digitalocean, linode or any other. As a business it is important to hide the system architecture (app server, database and many more) behind a reverse proxy. My question is, is it still relevant to use proxy manager as nginx reverse proxy manager if we just wish to hide the system behind given we don't want to go through the pain of managing proxy manager, updating the system, keeping track what is going on with the system since the load manager from the provider will manage it all and we don't have to worry about. Thanks. Anyone in the community with knowledge may share their view as well.

[@SwiatLinuksa]

GJ !

[@RockawayCCW]

I call it the file tree to distinguish between the two.

[@davidwayne9982]

I'm wanting to INSTALL MABOX on my system-- but HOW do I remove the backgrounds from the file they're in- and replace them wtih my OWN- and do it SAFELY?? Doesn't it require ROOT- Sudo or whatever??? They are in USR/SHARE/BACKGROUNDS and I tried to just delete ONE picture while running in the USB live session and it wouldn't let me.. I want to install it- but I want to know I can CHANGE the photos any time I want- and HOW to do it SAFELY---_ HELP>...

[@josephferren6372]

Idea for future episodes: add timestamps for those of us who have already watched a video, but would just like a refresher on for example, commands used for navigating the file system.

[@sotecluxan4221]

Unbelievable!

[@4thatfilm]

whoa. I"m watching this on Feb 22! What I win?

[@walterazbill463]

I hope I didn't miss it in the video, but what does -i mean?

[@madness1931]

Wouldn't it be better for newcomers to stick with the File Browser? I'd argue that is what's more comfortable for most users. I'm not going to lie, if this was the video I clicked on to learn this, I'd be way to intimidated with the cmd line usage. Even for me now, I know what you're doing, but what you're saying is not sinking in, partly due to the command line. Don't get me wrong, more educational stuff for newcomers is a great thing. Love to see it, but the command line is more for folks moving from New to Intermediate, in my opinion. It's for when the user wants to learn more, and potentially get more functionality. EDIT: Just as an example. On both Windows, and Mac, a normal user WOULD NEVER need to touch the command line, or powershell. You, me, and whoever else is reading this might, but the large majority would never even run it. The sooner the Linux mindset can shift from do everything in terminal, to GUI, is better for the everyday user (which, the Linux community/distros are trying to appeal to).

[@SlideRSB]

There is absolutely no need to fear the command line. Any newb can do it. You can break your system just as easily using a gui file manager as you can with the terminal.

[@madness1931]

@@SlideRSB I understand what you're saying. Though, in my opinion the command line is something the regular user should never need to use. Unless you're going into specific qualifications, the command line is alien to most folks, it's not taught. You might as well be speaking rhubarb, to folks. A good GUI can be so user-friendly, anyone (a newborn baby, to an OAP on their deathbed) can understand it. You cannot say the same for any Terminal program.

[@SlideRSB]

@@madness1931 Actually, I think I can. I have several family members that are just as lost using a GUI as they would be using a CLI. When faced with the task of using a file manager to move or backup files from one folder to another, they might as well be trying to get by with cryptic commands at the command line because they don't know how to manage the task they are faced with at any level. Given a willingness to learn, anyone can become proficient at any computer interface. My father is one person in my life that fits this description. He always gets confused by the simplest tasks in Windows, yet he got by okay back in the day on old computers of the early 80's that lacked any kind of GUI.

[@brissance]

i am fed up dumb linux windows is better just click mouse. nice video what if directoy is vacant then cd shows nothing then what?

[@narender64]

When covering filesystem structure and not covering All directories at / even briefly is a blunder in my opinion !

[@narender64]

Takes more time and gives less information, his 30 min video can be given in 5 mins easily without overs speeding !

[@neloyislam4002]

what operating system r u running on? u talk like a robot