Re: /etc/profile should include sbin in PATH
Remco van de Meent <remco@dnd.utwente.nl> writes:
> I quote the FHS (pre-2.1), which Debian is moving to according to the latest
> Policy document:
>
> ``Deciding what things go into "sbin" directories is simple: If a
> normal (not a system administrator) user will ever run it directly,
> then it should be placed in one of the "bin" directories. Ordinary
> users should not have to place any of the sbin directories in their
> path.''
Wonderful, so the FHS has codified this misconception. Well now we're stuck
either moving a whole slew of programs from sbin into bin or simply writing
off this clause of the FHS as pointless and not feasible.
Personally I never saw a point in sbin, it was always a solution in search of
a problem and it violated a central design philosophy of the unix hierarchy,
causing many more headaches.
In the long term I would suggest we should simply demolish /sbin and symlink
/bin. and either demolish /usr/sbin or put only system daemons in it. System
daemons obviously satisfy the FHS requirements and have the advantage that
there may actually be some point in isolating them.
In the short term I suggest we ignore the FHS babbling and put /sbin and
/usr/sbin in the standard paths. This would mean we follow the FHS for file
positions but simply disagree with the conclusions drawn based on those
requirements. Those conclusions have no business being in the standard anyways
-- they don't specify anything.
--
greg
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