Re: Policy for apps in /usr/X11R6
Jim Pick <jim@jimpick.com> writes:
> Personally, I don't care where they go. But there needs to be a clear
> policy on this. Either:
>
> a) /usr/X11R6 is for the X11 system only.
>
> b) /usr/X11R6 is for the X11 system and all libraries and applications
> which depend on X.
Add to that
c) /usr/X11R6 is an abomination, nothing should go there
we'll install a symlink from /usr/X11R6 -> /usr for backward
compatibility.
The FSSTND makes it very clear that /usr/X11R6 is a gross concession to
backward compatibility with widespread expectations. I think it only permits
/usr/X11R6 and doesn't require it.
However I expect that would be quite unpopular. Amongst the previous
suggestions I would definitely be a lot happier with option (a) than (b).
(a) is at least a well-defined set. (b) will grow monotonically and accumulate
random applications that have only a tenuous connection with the X Window
System. Some of them like Emacs, Oleo, even java and javac would be quite
surprising to find in /usr/X11R6.
The idea of putting X applications in /usr/X11R6 was born in a time when few
users ran X and applications which used X were inevitably closely tied to X.
Now most random programs are X programs, even ones that aren't conceptually X
programs, and putting most programs in a subdirectory just seems like an awful
plan.
If we're going to divide programs into subdirectories at least do it by
something inherent in the application, like "games". Not something that people
using the program might not even realize about it and is subject to change,
like what libraries it's linked against.
greg
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