Re: Comments on FHS testsuite run

[Santiago Vila <sanvila@unex.es>]

On Fri, 20 Oct 2000, Wichert Akkerman wrote:

> * Reference 3.4.2-1: /etc/opt does not exist
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   Part of FHS 2.1, should be added to the base-files package

FHS lists /etc/opt, but it does not say it *must* exist, just that
"configuration for /opt should be in /etc/opt".

The empty /etc/opt may well be inside the foreign package using it.

> * Reference 4.5-8: /usr/local/src not present
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   This directory should be created by base-files if it does not exist.

bug in the test suite. /usr/local/src is part of base2_2.tgz

> * Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/nls not present
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   FHS 2.1 describes this as a directory for `Native language support'.
>   I'm not aware of any program that uses this directory, so it currently
>   does not exist. Probably should be added as an empty directory to our
>   base-files packges.

Again, FHS does not say it must exist.

> * Reference 4.7-6: /usr/share/tmac not present
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   FHS 2.1 describes this as a directory for `troff macros not distributed
>   with gross'.  I'm not aware of any program that uses this directory, so it
>   currently does not exist. Probably should be added as an empty directory to
>   our base-files packges.

Same as before.

> * Reference 4.7.30-2: /usr/share/misc/ascii missing
>   Reason: weird standard, possible bug in Debian
> 
>   I have no idea why this file belongs in a standard; it's not in any
>   Debian package so if the standard does not remove this we will need to
>   add it somewhere.

Same as before. This time FHS even more clear, since it says:

       The following files, if present, should be located under
       /usr/share/misc:

       { ascii, magic, termcap, termcap.db }

Please note the "if present" thing. It means that whatever package contains
the file should locate it there, not that it has to exist.

> * Reference 5.1-1: /var/account missing
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   Should be added as an empty dir to base-files

       "the account, crash, games, mail,
       and yp directories must be included and used if the corresponding
       applications or features are provided in the distribution."

In cases like this we let the corresponding package to ship whatever
directories are required to provide the features.

> * Reference 5.9-1: /var/opt missing
>   Reason: bug in Debian
> 
>   Part of FHS 2.1, should be added to the base-files package

Same as before. This is where variable data for /opt should go, it
does not mean we have to ship an emprt /var/opt, it just means that whoever
creates an opt package should make it to use /var/opt/<package>
for its variable data.


If FHS says "foo should be here, bar should be there", then we would
violate FHS by placing foo there or bar here, but this does not mean
we have to create empty `here' and `there'.

At least this is how I interpret the FHS standard when it says:

   Note that an implementation does not need to contain all the files and
   directories specified in this standard to be compliant or compatible.
   Only the files and directories an implementation actually contains need
   to be located appropriately.  For example, if a particular filesystem is
   not supported by a distribution, the tools for that filesystem need not
   be included, even though they may be explicitly listed in this standard.

I think it follows clearly from this paragraph that checking for the
existence of every file and directory listed in the standard should
*not* be a way to check for compliance.

Thanks.