Root directory is a common term you will hear a lot among tech people.
But what exactly does it mean?
Root, also called base, refers to the parent of the hierarchical structure of a web server.
Directory simply means a folder.
Root directory refers to a parent folder of a file system particularly that of a web server where website files are served or stored.
For a Linux server website files are served from the root directory public_html.
How to access the root directory?
3 methods:
- SSH (recommended)
- FTP/SFTP
- Cpanel
SSH – secure shell
You need to generate keys using putty first. Keep your private key safe. Once it’s lost it’s gone, forever.
Follow instructions here.
(S)FTP – file transfer protocol
Note if you are on a shared host, upload is restricted and you have limited control. FTP makes it easy to transfer those big file sizes to your root directory. Follow instruction here to configure and use FTP.
CPanel – easy method. Login to Cpanel access filemanger. You will be redirected instantly to your root directory.