I'm pretty new to Linux (I just installed RedHat 9 over the weekend, and previously have putzed with 7.3). Overall, I'm loving all of the customizability it offers, as well as the emphasis on the command line.

Anyway, here's my question: What are the meanings of all of the paths used by Linux, e.g. /etc, /usr? Are they kind of fuzzy in terms of what goes where? Is there a good website that explains this?

I'm just wondering because when I install software in Windows, I am always asked where it wants me to install (e.g. in the Program Files directory), but installing packages in Linux (at least through rpm) just throws it somewhere and sets up an alias so that I can use it from any directory. I'm wondering what the method is to this madness.

Also, I've heard that RedHat (or maybe just rpm) puts packages in funny (read: non-standard) locations. Is this a big deal?

Thanks all!

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...threadid=69537

please try searching, i answered this about 2 hours ago...

Oops, sorry about that. Thanks for the link.

I'm still wondering about Redhat's use of these paths, though. Does anybody know much about this?

redhat his pretty conventional with where it puts things... never come across "unusual" locations with redhat... why do you think this?

In linux most of the install file will go tu /usr.... and redhat put it in /usr/lib..( for example mozilla) You don't have to worry dude. In linux you don't have to worry about file locations if you install through rpm ... later you can always find it back....to edit...or to remove( uninstall).. .. and you can search files through "find" or "locate".....