Special Folders

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MacOS X has a pretty logical directory tree. Here we explain what all the different folders contain.

  • Applications - Installed software
    • Utilities - Utility software
  • Applications (MacOS 9) - Software for the Classic environment
  • Developer - Developer tools
  • Library - Contains settings that apply to all users
    • Application Support - This contains plug-ins and support files for applications
    • Audio - Contains files for MIDI stuff
      • Sounds
        • Alerts - This is not where you put system Alert Sounds. See "Sounds" below
    • Caches - Contains various caches. You can delete the contents of this safely.
    • CFMSupport - Contains Carbon libraries.
    • ColorSync - Contains color profiles for ColorSync
    • Contextual Menu Items - Contains installed third-party items that extend various contextual menus
    • Desktop Pictures - Contains Desktop Pictures, including the ones shipped by Apple
    • Documentation - Contains files you view with the Help Viewer.
    • Fonts - Installed third-party fonts
    • Frameworks - Contains Cocoa libraries
    • Image Capture - Contains third-party drivers for digital cameras and scanners
    • Internet Plug-Ins - Contains plug-ins for Safari and other web browsers.
    • Keychains - Contains Keychains
    • Logs - Contains various system logs
    • PreferencePanes - Contains third-party Preference Panes.
    • Preferences - Contains application preferences.
    • Printers - Contains third-party drivers for printers
    • QuickTime - Contains installed QuickTime Components, such as codecs.
    • Receipts - Contains bill-of-materials of packages installed by Apple's Installer.
    • Screen Savers - Contains third-party Screen Savers.
    • ScriptingAdditions - Contains third-paty Scripting Additions.
    • Scripts - Contains scripts that appear in the Scripts Menu Extra.
    • Sounds - Put custom Alert Sounds in aiff format here.
    • StartupItems - Third-party daemons that start upon system boot (not applications).
    • User Pictures - User icons
    • WebServer - Contains the cgi-bin and root directories of web sharing.
  • System - System files, contains the guts of MacOS X
    • Library
      • Lots of stuff
  • System Folder - Contains MacOS 9, for the Classic Environment.
  • Users - Contains the home folders for all users.
    • Shared
    • Deleted Users - The home folders of deleted users are stored here
    • <your username> - Your home folder will have the house icon
      • Applications - Applications only useable by you
      • Documents - Your documents
        • iChats - The default folder for storing iChat logs
        • Microsoft User Data
      • Library - Contains settings that apply to only this users
        • For contents, see above. Below is only stuff that doesn't show up in the root Library folder, or differs from it
        • Calendars - iCal calendars
        • Cookies - Safari cookies
        • Favorites - Finder favorite servers (anything else?)
        • FontCollections - Font Collections you've defined
        • iApps
        • Icons
        • Images
          • iChat Recent Pictures - your recent AIM user icons
        • iMovie - Plug-ins and sound effects for iMovie
        • Indexes
          • FindByContent - An index of the textual content of your files for quick Find by content searching
        • InputManagers - Contains Input managers, these often extend applications (such as Sogudi)
        • iTunes
          • iTunes Plug-ins - Visualiser plug-ins for iTunes
        • Mail - Mail.app email is stored here, in mbox format
        • Printers - Contains any printers you've set up.
        • Recent Servers - Recently connected servers
        • Safari - Safari preferences, history, bookmarks, etc
        • Services - Contains Services added to the Application name > Services menu.
        • Spelling - Contains learned words for the built-in spell checker
      • Movies - Default save location in iMovie
      • Music - iTunes likes to store its Music Library here
      • Pictures - iPhoto likes to store its photos here
      • Public - This folder is shared over the network to other users (via File Sharing, Windows File Sharing, and FTP)
        • Drop Box - This folder is editable by other users, they can save files here, but not list the folder or edit any files in it
      • Sites - Files in here are shared via apache with the URL http://your-ip/~username/, where "username" is your username
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