While working on my EC2 instance, I kept coming across paths like /etc , /var/log , and /usr/share . I wanted to understand what these directories do and when I might need them while managing a Linux server.

To make things easier to understand, I started thinking of the Linux filesystem as a house.

Imagine / (the root directory) as the entire house. Inside the house, there are different rooms, each with its own purpose. You wouldn't keep everything in one room, right?

Linux works in a similar way. It organizes files into directories, and each directory has a particular purpose.

Let's explore the directories I found on my EC2 instance and learn what they do.

Linux Filesystem Hierarchy

1. / The Root Directory

Let's start with /, the root directory.

Remember our house analogy? If Linux were a house, / would represent the entire house. All the other directories, such as /home , /etc , /var , and /usr , are located under it.

In Linux, / is the starting point of the filesystem hierarchy.…