SUSE Linux 10.0 Unleashed

Variable Data: The /var Directory

The /var directory holds subdirectories used by various system services for spooling and logging. Some of the files in this directory are temporary, like a printer queue spooler file. System and kernel logs keep much longer and so are renamed and rotated through periodically. Incoming local email is usually directed to /var/spool/mail as well.

Linux also uses /var for other system services. YaST keeps backup boot sectors and YaST Online Update files, among other things, in /var/lib/YaST2. The RPM package database is also stored in /var/lib/rpm.