| Directory | What’s in it? |
| /bin | Basic user-related programs are here. Command shells and programs such as ls. |
| /boot | LILO boot-related files |
| /dev | Block and character device files. |
| /etc | Configuration and system initialization files. |
| /home | User home directories, except root. |
| /lib | Essential libraries (like the system C library and kernel modules). |
| /mnt | Generic mountpoint for fixing filesystems. |
| /opt | Optional software packages. Slackware installs KDE to this location. |
| /proc | Proc filesystem mountpoint for kernel interaction. |
| /root | Root’s home directory. |
| /sbin | System binaries. Programs run by root or at boot time. |
| /tmp | Temporary directory. Everyone has read+write permissions here. |
| /usr | User-related programs such as X11, netscape, and pine. |
| /var | System log files, lock files, mail spools, and printer spools. |
In addition to these basic directories, there may be some others. For example, you may have a /mnt/cdrom directory for mounting your CD-ROM drive or /mnt/floppy for mounting a floppy diskette.