[OT] What Does "/etc" Stand For and Why?

[Benjamin Edwards]

Off the top of my head var is for data rather than configuration (configuration being specifically to do with technical setup and data being application data).  The reason it is a very broad name is because to future proof the structure you need a directory that can have anything that douse not fit in the other directories.  Maybe /other would of been a better alternative.

Ben

>>> Brett Kirksey <ubuntu-users at valx.mailshell.com> 09/27/04 03:10pm >>>
On Monday 27 September 2004 at 11:03+0100, Benjamin Edwards wrote:

> etcetera

Thanks for the response. Do you know _why_ it stands for "et cetera"? I mean they could have used "/etc" for the name of the "/var" directory just as easily. Why didn't they name it "/cfg" for config or "/prf" for preferences? The question really is, if "/etc" really means "et cetera", why did they choose such a generic name for a directory in which very specific things go?

Thanks,
Brett

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