5.2. Requirements

The following directories, or symbolic links to directories, are required in /var:

DirectoryDescription
cacheApplication cache data
libVariable state information
localVariable data for /usr/local
lockLock files
logLog files and directories
optVariable data for /opt
runData relevant to running processes
spoolApplication spool data
tmpTemporary files preserved between system reboots

Several directories are `reserved' in the sense that they must not be used arbitrarily by some new application, since they would conflict with historical and/or local practice. They are:

    /var/backups
    /var/cron
    /var/msgs
    /var/preserve