usrlocal

usr/local is a directory tree used on Unix-like systems to hold software and data that are installed locally by the system administrator or by users, separate from the software provided by the operating system’s package manager. The goal is to keep locally installed programs from being overwritten by system updates and to provide a stable space for custom or vendor-supplied software.

The typical layout includes /usr/local/bin for executable programs, /usr/local/sbin for privileged executables, /usr/local/lib and /usr/local/lib64 for libraries, /usr/local/include for header files, /usr/local/share for architecture-independent data, /usr/local/etc for configuration files, /usr/local/var for variable data, /usr/local/share/man for manual pages, and /usr/local/src for source code. Some systems also maintain subdirectories such as /usr/local/libexec or /usr/local/share/doc.

Path and library resolution commonly favor /usr/local over the system-wide locations. As a result, executables placed in /usr/local/bin are typically found before those in /usr/bin, and the linker may prefer libraries in /usr/local/lib when the system is configured accordingly. This behavior makes /usr/local a convenient place for locally built or vendor-supplied software.

Standards and context: /usr/local is a sanctioned part of the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) and is widely used across Unix-like systems, including Linux, BSD variants, and macOS. It is distinct from /opt, which is often used for prepackaged add-on software from vendors, sometimes outside the system’s normal path.

Best practices include configuring builds with a prefix of /usr/local and managing permissions so that root owns the tree while allowing necessary write access for administrative processes.