/etc for Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Redhat, Mint14, SUSE have the majority of the system parameter files in /etc.
Has anyone put together a list of what each is for, and the names / locations of the programs that use the file or subdirectory?

If a list is started, we could build one that would identify the distribution, and in effect, indicate how the /etc file is used.

For example, on a large GUI system, would you have more than one menu system. Would you know where a specific application keeps it's icons?

Many of the files in /etc have their own man pages, and are common between distros.

There are some differences between debian based distros (BSD flavored) and RPM Red Hat forks (system V flavored).

/etc/issue will tell you which distribution and version you are using.
The LSB specs has some information about /etc requirements: http://refspecs.linuxbase.org/LSB_3....neric/etc.html
Also the file system hierarchy standard: http://refspecs.linuxbase.org/LSB_3....s.html#STD.FHS

Also look at the open desktop.org standard: http://standards.freedesktop.org/bas...-spec-0.6.html

Perhaps I should have been more specific.
Suppose I want to make a global change to the PATH statement.
I may want to change it by adding my own library. I do not want to do it via the .bashrc as I may not be always running bash.

As an example, every PATH statement that I have seen has a ~/bin. Ubuntu has it first in the path, which I think is wrong from a security perspective. Fedora has it last in the path. Fortunately, Fedora does not instantiate ~/bin so security is not compromised.

I am assuming that somewhere in /etc is where the PATH string constituents are stored.

I went to the standard you mentioned, scanned all links and did not find what I needed. So yes, I asked the wrong question.