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Filesystem layout

While Haiku is currently not multi-user, there are already two branches in the filesystem tree:

/boot/system/		The system hierarchy contains system files and settings for all users. The package management makes most folders under /system effectively read-only. Packages contain all their files in a fixed folder hierarchy. Upon installation, a package gets "mounted" and all its files just appear to be in that hierarchy in the /system folder. The folders there (like add-ons, apps, bin etc.) are just a virtual amalgamation of all the installed packages and are therefore read-only. Exceptions are cache, non-packaged, settings, and var. /system/packages/ is the default install location for software. /system/documentation/ is used by some applications to store their manual.
/boot/home/		The home hierarchy is your personal folder where you keep your data and settings. The folder /boot/home/config (or shortened ~/config) mirrors the /system folder described above and is likewise virtually read-only with the same exceptions of cache, non-packaged, settings, and var. ~/Desktop/ is where the files of your Desktop live. ~/config/settings/ is where the system and applications store your settings.

The writable non-packaged folders mirror the hierarchy of /system or ~/config/ (add-ons, apps, bin…).
Software that doesn't come in form of a HPKG package can be installed here.