Continuing Caldera Directories

Continuing Caldera Directories

Today, we’re continuing on with the directory structure of Calerda OpenLinux. Let’s take a look at three more directories in the root structure and how they differ from other Linux distributions. We’ll also find some similarities.

/boot. The /boot directory contains your Linux kernel. It’s obviously crucial to the boot process for your system. If you recompile the kernel, this is where the new kernel code should reside. In most distributions, a custom kernel will be placed in the /usr/src/linux/arch/i386/boot directory as the file bzImage. In Caldera and many other distributions, this kernel code should be moved to the /boot directory. Once that change is made, you’ll need to update your boot loader to reflect the change in code. The /boot directory is common among the major Linux distributions.

/bru. The /bru directory is a repository for commercial tape backup programs and restores. This is a directory that’s unique to the OpenLinux distribution. This reflects the business focus of Caldera - a directory that more easily enables system administrators to backup and restore critical data.

/dev. The /dev directory is another common directory in Linux distributions. /dev contains device definitions - pointers to devices, as it were. With the introduction of devfs, Linux distributors will begin migrating the device definitions from the /dev directory to a system that’s more easier to read and more reliable.

For the dissimilarities, Caldera OpenLinux is, indeed, a Linux system. As such, it follows the recommendations of the File System Hierarchy Standard, a set of guidelines for standardizing the directory structure of Linux distributions. There are, however, some small deviations from and additions to the standard. Tomorrow, we’ll continue on through the directory tree of Caldera OpenLinux, again pointing out the similarities and differences with other Linux distributions.