Linux Configuration Files

profile
/dev/MAKEDEV
/etc/aliases
/etc/bootptab
/etc/crontab
/etc/dhcpd.conf
/etc/ethers
/etc/exports
/etc/fdprm

/etc/filesystems

/etc/fstab
/etc/group
/etc/groups
/etc/gshadow
/etc/host.conf
/etc/hosts
/etc/HOSTNAME
/etc/inittab
/etc/inetd.conf

System wide environment and startup script

program.
The /dev/MAKEDEV file is a script written by the
system administrator that creates local only device
files or links such as device files for a non-standard
device driver.
Where the user's name is matched to a nickname
for e-mail.
The configuration for the BOOTP server daemon.
Lists commands and times to run them for the cron
deamon.
The configuration file for the DHCP server
daemon.
File for RARP mapping from hardware addresses
to IP addresses. See the man page ethers(5).
The file describing exported filesystems for NFS
services.
The floppy disk parameter table. Describes the
formats of different floppy disks. Used by
setfdprm.
Can be used to set the filesystem probe order when
filesystems are mounted with the auto option. The
nodev parameter is specified for filesystems that
are not really locally mounted systems such as
proc, devpts, and nfs systems.
Lists the filesystems mounted automatically at
startup by the mount -a command (in /etc/rc or
equivalent startup file).
Similar to /etc/passwd but for groups rather than
users.
May contain passwords that let a user join a group.
Used to hold the group password and group
administrator password information for shadow
passwords.
Specifies how host names are resolved.
List hosts for name lookup use that are locally
required.
Shows the host name of this host. Used for support
of older programs since the hostname is stored in
the /etc/sysconfig/network file.
Configuration file for init, controls startup run
levels, determines scripts to start with.
Sets up the services that run under the inetd
daemon.

/etc/issue
/etc/issue.net
/etc/ld.so.conf
/etc/lilo.conf
/etc/limits
/etc/localtime
/etc/login.defs
/etc/logrotate.conf
/etc/magic
/etc/motd
/etc/mtab
/etc/named.conf
/etc/networks
/etc/nologin
/etc/nsswitch.conf
/etc/passwd
/etc/printcap
/etc/profile, /etc/cshlogin,
/etc/csh/cshrc
/etc/protocols
/etc/rc or /etc/rc.d or /etc/rc?.d
/etc/rc.d/rc0.d
/etc/rc.d/rc1.d
/etc/rc.d/rc.sysinit
/etc/resolv.conf

Output by getty before the login prompt.

Description or welcoming message.
Output for network logins with LINUX version
Configuration file for ld.so, the run time linker.
Configuration file for LILO.
Limits users resources when a system has shadow
passwords installed.
In Debian the system time zone is determined by
this link.
Sets user login features on systems with shadow
passwords.
Configures the logrotate program used for
managing logfiles.
The configuration file for file types. Contains the
descriptions of various file formats for the file
command.
The message of the day, automatically output by a
successful login.
A list of currently mounted file systems. Setup by
boot scripts and updated by the mount command.
Used for domain name servers.
Lists names and addresses of your own and other
networks, used by the route command.
If this file exists, non-root logins are disabled.
Typically it is created when the system is shutting
down.
Name service switch configuration file.
The user database with fields giving the username,
real name, home directory, encrypted password and
other information about each user.
A configuration file for printers.
Files executed at login or startup time by the
Bourne or C shells. These allow the system
administrator to set global defaults for all users.
Describes DARPA internet protocols available from
the TCP/IP subsystem. Maps protocol ID numbers
to protocol names.
Scripts or directories of scripts to run at startup or
when changing run level.
Contains files used to control run level 0. Usually
these files are softlink files.
Contains files to control run level 1. Scripts
beginning with an S are for start, K for kill.
Init runs this when it starts.
Configures the name resolver, specifying the
address of your name server and your domain
name.

Identifies secure terminals from which root is

allowed to log in.
/etc/services
Lists the network services that the system supports.
Shadow password file on systems with shadow
password software installed. Shadow passwords
/etc/shadow
move the encrypted password files from
/etc/passwd to /etc/shadow which can only be read
by root.
/etc/shadow.group
Systems with shadow passwords may have this file.
Lists trusted shells. The chsh command allows
/etc/shells
users to change their login shell to shells listed only
in this file.
Can be used by administrator to set the editor
/etc/skel/.profile
environment variable to some editor that is friendly
to new users.
A list of users with special privileges along with the
/etc/sudoers
commands they can execute.
The configuration file for setting up Samba
/etc/smb.conf
services.
/etc/sysconfig/amd
Used to configure the auto mount daemon.
Used to configure the system clock to Universal or
/etc/sysconfig/clock
local time and set some other clock parameters.
/etc/sysconfig/i18n
Controls the system font settings.
This file is used to set some terminal characteristics
/etc/sysconfig/init
and environment variables.
/etc/sysconfig/keyboard
Used to configure the keyboard.
/etc/sysconfig/mouse
This file is used to configure the mouse.
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-interface Defines a network interface.
/etc/sysconfig/pcmcia
Used to configure pcmcia network cards.
/etc/sysconfig//routed
Sets up dynamic routing policies.
/etc/sysconfig/static-routes
Configures static routes on a network.
/etc/sysconfig/tape
Used for backup tape device configuration.
/etc/X11/XF86Config
The configuration file for the X server.
/etc/syslog.conf
Configuration file for the syslogd daemon.
The terminal capability database. Describes by
what "escape sequences" various terminals can be
/etc/termcap
controlled. See terminfo, termcap, curs_termcap
man pages.
/etc/terminfo
Details for terminal I/O.
This file is used to impose special access
/etc/usertty
restrictions on users.
$HOME/.bashrc
User aliases, path modifier, and functions.
$HOME/.bash_profile
Users environment stuff and startup programs.
$HOME/.bash_logout
User actions to be done at logout.
$HOME/.hushlogin
When this file exists in the user's home directory, it
will prevent check for mail, printing of the last
login time, and the message of the day when the
/etc/securetty

$HOME/.inputrc
$HOME/Xrootenv.0
/proc/cpuinfo
/proc/devices
/proc/dma
/proc/filesystems
/proc/ioports
/proc/interrupts
/proc/kcore
/proc/kmsg
/proc/ksyms
/proc/loadavg
/proc/meminfo
/proc/modules
/proc/mounts
/proc/net
/proc/self
/proc/stat
/proc/uptime
/proc/version
/tmp/fvwmrca01339
/usr/lib/zoneinfo
/var/log/lastlog
/var/log/wtmp
/var/run/utmp
/var/named/root.hints
/var/named/*

user logs in.

Contains keybindings and other bits.
Has networking and environment info.
Information about the processor such as its type,
make and performance.
A list of devices configured into the currently
running kernel.
Shows which DMA channels are being used at the
moment.
Filesystems that are configured into the kernel. The
file used to detect filesystems if the /etc/filesystems
does not exist.
Shows which I/O ports are in use at the moment.
Shows which interrupts are in use and how many of
each there have been.
An image of the physical memory of the system.
Messages output by the kernel. These are also
routed to syslog.
Symbol table for the kernel.
The load average of the system.
Information about memory usage, both physical
and swap.
Which kernel modules are currently loaded.
Contains information on filesystems currently
mounted, similar to /etc/mtab
Contains status information about network
protocols.
A symbolic link to the process directory of the
program that is looking at /proc. When 2 process
look at proc, they get different links.
Various statistics about the system such as the
number of page faults since the system was booted.
The time the system has been up.
The kernel version.
FVWM-M4 defines. Contains networking,
Xwindows, other setup info.
Time zone datafiles are stored here on the Debian
system
Used by finger to tell when a user was last logged
in.
Binary info on users that have been logged on. The
last command uses this info.
Contains information about users currently logged
in. Who and w commands use this file.
Used for domain name server. Placed here
optionally, but this is the normal location.
Files used by domain name server. Placed here

/var/log/btmp
/var/log/lastlog
/var/log/maillog
/var/log/messages
var/log/secure
/var/spool/mail

optionally, but this is the normal location.

Used to store information about failed logins. This
file must be first created to activate it.
Contains information about the last time a login
was done on the system. Works with lastb(1).
The normal system mail log file.
The main system message log file.
System tracking of user logins. Check this file
periodically.
Where mailboxes are usually stored.