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Define - /etc?

Posted by Cliff on from the place-where-config-files-go dept.

ogar572 asks: "There has been an ongoing and heated debate around the office concerning the definition of what /etc means on *nix operating systems. One side says "et cetera" per Wikipedia. Another side says it means 'extended tool chest' per this gnome mailing list entry or per this Norwegian article. Yet another side says neither, but he doesn't remember exactly what he heard in the past. All he remembers is that he was flamed when he called it 'et cetera', but that 'extended tool chest' didn't sound right either. So, what does it really mean?"

2 of 548 comments (clear)

  1. Extended Tool Chest? by Wdomburg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Considering none of the other standard directories are acronyms, I'd have to call bulltish on this one. :)

  2. Re:etc stands for... by ari_j · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's et cetera. If you look at the Unix hierarchy, you get:

    • /bin - binaries
    • /sbin - system binaries
    • /dev - devices
    • /home - user home directories
    • /lib - libraries
    • /mnt - temporary mount point
    • /root - root's home directory in case /home is on another filesystem
    • /var - variable data, such as databases, news, and mail
    • /tmp - temporary files
    • /usr - mostly there because it wouldn't fit on / :P
    • /etc - stuff that doesn't fit any of the above

    It's not about configuration files, either. /etc is home to both configuration and system-essential files, such as passwd and motd. I wouldn't call passwd "configuration," and I wouldn't call it "data." It's more "control." But that doesn't matter - the stuff in /etc just wouldn't fit anywhere else. All the backronyms in the world won't change that.