Re: /etc/profile should include sbin in PATH
davidw@master.debian.org (David Welton) wrote:
> The original idea wasn't to change the location of the bins, but to
> put in something that will be very convenient for a lot of people.
Sorry. I was replying to a huge rant about why the sbin directories are
evil and should be abolished on philosophical reasons. The thread had
drifted.
> On Wed, Jan 05, 2000 at 03:59:35PM -0500, Brian Mays wrote:
>
> > Any user can add the sbin directories to his path. It is also easy
> > to add an alias ifconfig=/sbin/ifconfig. Why do you consider this
> > to be so difficult?
>
> Why is it so difficult for you to take sbin out of your path if you
> don't want it?
On a per user basis (i.e., assume that you are using an account on
someone else's machine), it is far easier to add something to the
default path than remove something.
> While we may not be 'forcing' anyone to do anything, we are indeed
> implicitly suggesting that the ordinary user has no business in the
> sbin's, which a lot of people have contradicted.
Big deal! If the user does not know how to add these programs to his
path, then most likely, he does indeed have no business in the sbin
directories.
> We aren't talking about "ignoring standards". Stop the FUD.
>
> [...]
>
> The "standard" is the two sbin directories. I don't think that there
> is really a standard PATH, other than just a sort of default.
The FHS states that "Ordinary users should not have to place any of the
sbin directories in their path." If we are not violating the letter of
the FHS, then we are violating the intent.
> But who says that Debian has to use everyone else's poorly chosen
> default from 1982?
Why not? We ship our distribution with the default shell prompt from
the '70's.
> From an engineering point of view, it's better to fix something once,
> in the point where the fix will be beneficial to the most people,
> instead of making everyone fix it individually.
Most people? I think that you'll find that most people have no problems
with the current default path. I really do think that you're trying to
fix a problem that doesn't exist.
Brian
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