Just this week changed my computer from Win98 to a dual-boot win98/RedHat 9 system. While learning Linux (which will probably take me a long time), I need to keep Win98 to get my work done.

In Win98, I had a very organized way of arranging my files and directories: downloaded applications (like zipped freeware) went here; the files I extracted out of them went there; when the program got set up it had its own directory under Program Files, of course; and all my data went in folders under a Data folder. No rocket science here.

How do you recommend I organize this under RH9? Where should I put downloaded RPMs? And where should I put downloaded tar.gz's? And after I unzip and untar them, where should I put the contained files? And then how about my data--letters I write, databases, other documents? I get confused with /etc, /tmp, /src, /bin, and so on. Does a good, organized files system put certain things in each of these directories? And am I even "allowed," or does everything I download have to go in my /home directory?

I just don't want to have things strewn all over my file system.

Thanks.

I like to keep non-system stuff on a separate partition, so I have /home and another partition, /pub that I use. Personal stuff, I organize in /home/<user>.

I keep downloaded stuff in /pub/download with separate folders for tars, bins, rpms, etc.

I usually extract stuff to some temp folder as I toss it after compiling and installing it.

Of course, kernel-source or other source code that needs the tree, I extract to /usr/src or usr/local/src, depending upon what it is.

I recommend something like /home/<user>/documents for notes and umportant stuff you have written.

# Linux filesystem structure
Directory Navigation Help File
Filesystems, Directories, and Devices Help File
Proper Filesystem Layout

# Red Hat links
Red Hat Linux Manuals
Get your mp3 support here
Maximum RPM
rpmfind
Easier software management: apt4rpm - Red Carpet
Red Hat 8.0 Tips & Tricks

# Red Hat 7.3 down configuration commands
setup leads to several configuration tools

# Red Hat 7.3 up configuration commands
Configure soundcard:
redhat-config-soundcard
Configure X server:
redhat-config-xfree86
Configure network:
redhat-config-network
Manage software:
redhat-config-packages

# Handling NTFS
New Technology FileSystem (NTFS) HOWTOs
Linux NTFS project