Re: Obsolete software in /usr/local

[Greg Stark <gsstark@mit.edu>]

Ben Armstrong <synrg@sanctuary.nslug.ns.ca> writes:

> On Fri, Jan 05, 2001 at 01:31:42PM -0400, Ben Armstrong wrote:
> > Changes in version 1.9.2:
> > 
> >         Removed /usr/local/lib from the default /etc/ld.so.conf
> >         for Debian (Bug#8181).
> 
> oops, except that mod is *ancient*.  way before potato.  dunno why this
> would change between potato and woody. 

I've been meaning to bring this up for a while: 
Why on earth was this change ever made?

/usr/local/lib is the supported place for the local admin to put libraries
available to all programs. Every admin who wants to use /usr/local as intended
will have to manually add this entry to have a working system.

In general debian packages ship with empty /usr/local directories but are
configured to automatically use files put in those directories by the
administrator. Why should /usr/local/lib be any different?

Incidentally, by the same logic /usr/local/bin should be in the standard path
and /usr/local/sbin should be in root's standard path as well.

-- 
greg