• Part 1: How the Mac OS X File System is Organized
  • Search Paths
    • NSSearchPathForDirectoriesInDomains
  • The User's Home Directory
  • The /Local Directory
  • The /Network Directory
  • The /System Directory
• Directory Layouts
• Appendix B: Comparing Mac OS X and OpenStep Directory Layouts

This topic introduces some of the conventions observed by the Mac OS X file system. The major points discussed are:

• The location and names of the standard directories.
• The typical contents of these directories.
• Search paths used to locate applications and application resources such as fonts and icons.

This topic is divided in two parts: the first is designed as a conceptual overview and the second as a FAQ, answering practical questions such as "Where do I install an application so that it's accessible to everyone on my local network?" or "Where do I install a new font?". Appendix B is provided for programmers familiar with OpenStep, and contains a table comparing the standard directories of OpenStep with those of Mac OS X.

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