Chapter 2. The File System

This chapter will take you on a tour of the Snow Leopard file system to discover what items exist in what folders and why (and also what you can and shouldn't change and why). We'll cover in depth

  • The overall file structure of Snow Leopard

  • Your personal Home folder and its contents

  • The top-level folders, including the System folder, the Library folder, and the Applications folder

  • Other common folders

  • Hidden folders

The Overall File Structure of Snow Leopard

The file system for Snow Leopard is pretty easy to understand. It starts at the root of your primary hard drive (the one that you boot Snow Leopard from). From there, a series of folders descends downward, each with their own purpose. Figure 2-1 shows a basic view of the ...

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