Directory for dictionary databases

[Bob Hilliard <hilliard@flinet.com>]

     In earlier discussions, it was agreed that the proper location
for dictionary databases under the FHS would be
/usr/share/dict/<pkgname>.

     Subsequently, I have obtained a copy of the FHS, and have
discussed this subject with the upstream author of the dictd package.

     An abbreviated extract from the FHS follows is appended to this
message.

     It appears that the FHS considers the /usr/share/dict directory
to be for word lists, such as those used for spell checkers, not for
dictionaries in the wider sense.  

     Rik Faith <faith@cs.unc.edu>, the author of dictd, says:

> I argue that dictd is an application which stores read only information in
> a proprietary[1] format which is not easily used by other applications, and,
> as such, the data should be stored in the top level directory:
> /usr/share/dictd

     After reviewing the FHS, I agree with Rik, and will build the
dictionary packages that I expect to upload tomorrow to install in
/usr/share/dictd. 

     I suggest that you consider /usr/share/wordnet for your packages.

Bob

[1] This does not mean proprietary in the non-free sense.  Rik means
unique to the dictd package.
-- 
   _
  |_)  _  |_       Robert D. Hilliard    <hilliard@flinet.com>
  |_) (_) |_)      Palm City, FL  USA    PGP Key ID: A8E40EB9

          Abbreviated extract from the 
     Filesystem Hierarchy Standard -- Version 2.0

4.8  /usr/share : Architecture-independent data

/usr/share -- Architecture-independent data
|
+-dict      Word lists
          .         .         .         .         .

Any program or package which contains or requires data that doesn't need
to be modified should store that data in /usr/share (or
/usr/local/share, if installed locally).  It is recommended that a
subdirectory be used in /usr/share for this purpose.

          .         .         .         .         .
4.8.1  /usr/share/dict : Word lists

Recommended files for /usr/share/dict:

{ words }

Traditionally this directory contains only the English words file, which
is used by look(1) and various spelling programs.
          .         .         .         .         .
Word lists for other languages may be added using the English name for
that language, e.g., /usr/share/dict/french
          .         .         .         .         .

Other word lists, such as the web2 "dictionary" should be included here,
if present.

BEGIN RATIONALE

The reason that only word lists are located here is that they are the
only files common to all spell checkers.

END RATIONALE


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