A project for Unix/Linux Fundamentals by Stephanie Williams during Fall 2011.

This project was begun on September 20 and is anticipated to take 1 week. I finished October 25 but in all fairness I had forgotten about it. When all is said and down it took about two days.

The purpose of this project is to learn and explore the Unix environment. By undertaking this project, I plan to accomplish an understanding of Unix and the purpose for files and directories in the system.

In order to successfully accomplish/perform this project, the listed resources/experiences need to be consulted/achieved:

• cd command
• ls
• -l argument to ls
• understanding of paths, absolute and relative

The idea of this project is to explore the Unix environment and learn the commands and structure of the program.

Unix is an open source operating system created in AT&T labs in the late 1960s. It is a multiuser and multitasking system designed to create a simple workspace for a variety of different tasks. It is very portable which is why it is considered to be a very powerful and versatile operating system (OS). The Unix OS has many tools and systems within that make it user friendly. This project will attempt to delve into this more deeply.

To get a better understanding of the layout and structure of the UNIX filesystem, an exploration is in order. Using observation skills and references, I will explore the various major directories on the system (starting with '/') and describing the intended purpose of each directory:

1. what types of files does it contain (regular, directory, special)
2. what is the organizational value of that directory (config files, basic tools, admin tools, etc.)

The directories I will explore are:

• /
• /bin
• /dev
• /etc
• /home
• /lib (/lib32 vs. /lib64)
• /mnt
• /proc
• /root
• /sbin
• /tmp
• /usr
• /var
• /var/log
• /usr/bin
• /usr/sbin
• /usr/src
• /usr/local
• /usr/local/bin
• /usr/lib

Upon successful approval and completion of this project,the attributes I would like to be credited with are having gained knowledge about what is located in certain directories in lab46 and to know what I can and cannot access.

The / directory is the root directory of the system. It contains directories and symbolic links which is a special type of directory. The organizational value of this directory is to support the whole of the Unix environment.

The /bin directory contains mostly executable files as well as some symbolic links. The organizational value of this irectory is to store the basic tools needed to run and navigate the system.

The /dev directory contains special files. There are a few directory files located within this directory as well. The organizational value of this directory is to house configuration files.

The /etc directory contains regular files and directory files. The organizational value of this directory is to provide administration tools.

The /home directory contains all directory files. These directory files are the directories for all the users on the lab46 system. The organizational value of this directory is for all users on the system to be recognized and have access to their account.

The /lib directory contains regular files, directory files, and symbolic links as well as executable files.

The /mnt directory is empty and contains no files.

The /proc directory contains many directories that all contain the same files and directories themselves. It also has some regular files.

The /root directory contains unknown files. Permission was denied to gain access into this directory. This is the directory that the system administrator uses to access everything pertaining to Unix and its users.

The /sbin directory has many executable files. There are also symbolic links.

The /tmp directory has a socket and directories as well as regular files.

The /usr directory contains directories and a symbolic link. The games are located in this directory under the directory games.

The /var directory contains contains directories owned by root and has a read and execute permission block for group and world.

The /var/log directory contains lots of sockets and some regular files and a few directories. Most of the files in this directories have a permission of read only for the group and nothing for world. The group in theses files is adm or utmp.

The /usr/bin directory contains mostly executable files. These all have root as the owner and have some value in keeping lab46 running smoothly. They are compilers and python language links.

The /usr/sbin directory contains even more executable files and symbolic links that are mostly used to update the system.

The /usr/src directory contains no files.

The /usr/local directory contains directories. They are owned by root and the group is staff. The files are mostly read and execute by group and world.

The /usr/local/bin directory contains executable files and 3 regular files. These files mostly have to do with attendance and message of the day. This directory is mostly used to get information to the users on the system.

The /usr/lib directory conatins regular files, directories, and symbolic links. This contains the all the library files.

While performing this project, I was able to see what types of files are in the Unix system as well as gain a more general sense of how many there are (a lot). I also see now how vast Unix is and I have a better appreciation for tools such as ls and the argument -l.

In performing this project, the following resources were referenced:

• Learning the Unix Operating System
• Harley Hahn's Guide to Unix
• http://www.bell-labs.com/history/unix/tutorial.html