Re: Debian, Linux, the FSSTND, the FHS and BSD
Ian Jackson wrote:
> The latest draft FHS, which they may well publish as it stands, makes
> the following changes with which I have very strong disagreements:
> * The mail spool, /var/spool/mail, is moved to /var/mail.
This is a positive thing. Both SVR4 and BSD 4.4 put it here. I think
any contemporary unix should.
> * /var/lib is renamed to /var/state (yes, all of it).
> * /var/lib/games is moved to /var/games.
> * A new directory /usr/libexec is created to hold command binaries
> used only internally by programs - these are to be moved from
> /usr/lib and in some cases /usr/sbin. Oddly there is no
> corresponding /libexec directory.
I don't really care about these. They're the sort of thing that dances
around from one unix to the next anyway.
> The two good changes that I see are (and they are not minor):
> * /usr/share exists and is defined.
> * /opt exists and is defined.
These are nice.
> [1] When the original FSSTND was created I argued in favour of
> /libexec and /usr/libexec, but lost that debate. I'm less convinced
> now than I was then, but my main reason for opposing it now is that it
> is too late to change.
Nah - we've always got to be careful about "it's too late now" syndrome.
To think otherwise, is to plot a path to obsolescence. They oughta add
/libexec, tho.
Symlinks help, especially if you keep developers informed that usage Of
those symlinks is deprecated.
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