diff --git a/DIR_INFO b/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1544e301d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+This is the root dir for the cinelerra3 project
diff --git a/admin/DIR_INFO b/admin/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc76e0079
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+administrative scripts, tools, git hook scripts, etc..
diff --git a/build/DIR_INFO b/build/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..62f540bad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/build/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+build dir
diff --git a/doc/devel/DIR_INFO b/doc/devel/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a9ea7e85c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/devel/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+developer documentation, extra sources, doxygen
diff --git a/doc/user/DIR_INFO b/doc/user/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..61d585d2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/user/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+user documentation in texinfo
diff --git a/oldsrc/DIR_INFO b/oldsrc/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..666124344
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oldsrc/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+cinelerra2 sources, added per case when needed
diff --git a/src/DIR_INFO b/src/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fbe280987
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+every components source in a own subdir here
diff --git a/tests/DIR_INFO b/tests/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..cd5d69231
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+test suite
diff --git a/tests/bugs/DIR_INFO b/tests/bugs/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..97189d9f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/bugs/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+tests against reported bugs
diff --git a/uml/DIR_INFO b/uml/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b98ecbf05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/uml/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uml model, created with bouml
diff --git a/wiki/DIR_INFO b/wiki/DIR_INFO
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2bbb2fa6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/wiki/DIR_INFO
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+tiddlywiki for semi-persistent documentation