why can't the /bin directory contain subdirectories?

learnfast · 03-09-2005, 08:36 AM

was just reading in my red hat 9 book about the linux
file system and it states that the /bin directory cannot
contain subdirectories (as prescribed by the Filesystem
Hierarchy Standard I assume).

What is the reason for this?
Is this a technical or an organizational limitation?
Are there other directories that cannot contain subdirectories, e.g. /usr/bin?

thanks

reddazz · 03-09-2005, 09:02 AM

/bin and any other */bin direcories are supposed to just contain binaries/executables.

Komakino · 03-09-2005, 11:31 AM

They CAN contain subdirectories...the system doesn't limit you in that respect, but there'd be little point in adding subdirectories there. The /bin and /usr/bin directories just contain binary files and are included in the path so that just typing the name of a file there can load the program. It means you don't have to either cd to the directory containing each program to load it, or have to add every directory containing a program to the PATH.