Bug#510415: tech-ctte: Qmail inclusion (or not) in Debian
On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 10:02:59AM +0100, Raphael Hertzog wrote:
> > > - Lots of symlinks in /var/lib/qmail/bin going to /usr/bin/ and/or
> > > /usr/sbin. This is at least sick, if not again an FHS
> > > violation. var/lib is for "Variable state information", not binaries
> > > or links to them.
> > It is a violation of Policy's requirements regarding the FHS.
> > 9.1.1. File system Structure
> > ----------------------------
> > The location of all installed files and directories must comply with
> > the File system Hierarchy Standard (FHS), version 2.3, with the
> > exceptions noted below, and except where doing so would violate other
> > terms of Debian Policy.
> > The files must be installed in /usr, not just symlinked from /usr.
> I understood that they are installed in /usr but that symlinks are
> installed in /var, probably because Qmail expect them to be below
> /var/lib/qmail.
> While not nice and ideal, I believe it's an acceptable compromise if
> upstream doesn't want to fix the software to look in different
> directories.
> A quick check on the package confirms this:
> lrwxrwxrwx root/root 0 2008-08-28 15:23 ./var/lib/qmail/bin/qmail-inject -> /usr/bin
> /qmail-inject
Ok. I think technically that's still a violation (at least in an earlier
version of the FHS there was wording to the effect that an FHS-compliant
application had to use only the FHS directories when accessing files), but
it's one with fewer practical implications, so I don't think that should
block a package from the archive.
--
Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS
Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world.
Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/
slangasek@ubuntu.com vorlon@debian.org
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