- What is the function of /tmp directory?
Answers
Explanation:
The /var/tmp directory is made available for programs that require temporary files or directories that are preserved between system reboots. Therefore, data stored in /var/tmp is more persistent than data in /tmp. Files and directories located in /var/tmp must not be deleted when the system is booted
Answer:
/tmp is meant as fast (possibly small) storage with a short lifetime. Many systems clean /tmp very fast - on some systems it is even mounted as RAM-disk. /var/tmp is normally located on a physical disk, is larger and can hold temporary files for a longer time. Some systems also clean /var/tmp, but less often.
Also note that /var/tmp might not be available in the early boot-process, as /var and/or /var/tmp may be mountpoints. Thus it is a little bit comparable to the difference between /bin and /usr/bin. The first is available during early boot - the latter after the system has mounted everything. So most boot-scripts will use /tmp and not /var/tmp for temporary files.