Dotfiles

Dotfiles are the generic term for the configuration files for various programs. These are usually plain text files with a specific format. The most common form for a dotfile name is .<program name> rc. For example, one of tcsh's configuration files is called .cshrc. These files will not show up with the ls command unless you use the -a or -A options. The man pages for programs will have more information about their dotfiles and their format.