Re: /etc getting big
Ethan Benson <erbenson@alaska.net> writes:
> > Of course not 'all over the place' I didn't even mention such thing.
> > But i still don't think /var/config/ is against FHS. Except: "/etc
> > contains configuration files and directories that are specific to the
> > current system." At least X11 link in /etc is accepted.
>
> the FHS says you can't just make up new directories and toss them in
> /var.
FHS-2.2 is very reasonable: "Applications must generally not add
directories to the top level of /var. Such directories should only be
added if they have some system-wide implications, and in consultation
with the FHS mailing list."
> > aproaches 300. Is this really best possible organization? I have now
>
> $ ls -l /usr/bin | wc -l
> 2237
/usr/bin is automatically maintained. /etc is not. For a computer
program it is easiest to have everything in one place. For a human
some kind of grouping would be better.
> whats your point? /etc grows as you install packages needing global
> configuration files, reduce bloat on your system in general and you
> reduce /etc too.
True. Average OS size is much bigger now, because cheap computers can
do things which were impossible 10 years ago. Growth will continue.
Also big disks make it possible to install programs which are probably
newer used.
> > 58 MB '/' (55% full) It should be big enough for a while. My first
> > Linux computer had only 75 MB disk space. Of course i can live with
> > this. I only have to remember to double '/' every time i change my
> > disk drive.
>
> this is an exaggeration.
Not much, I forgot that my 2. disk was 120 MB. I have not changed my
disk drive every year and when I installed my first Linux, kernel
source did fit into one floppy. % of available software i have
installed could be same now as it was then:) Of course largest growth
has been in /lib/modules.
> what would go in /var/etc or /var/config whatever, as opposed to /etc?
/etc should have files for booting, login, basic network, basic
security and time setup. I also added cron*. I think it belongs to
backbone of Unix. This list probably has mistakes:
adjtime
adjtimex.conf
ae.rc (because ae is in /bin/)
anacrontab
at.deny
bash.bashrc
bind/
cron.d/
cron.daily/
cron.monthly/
cron.weekly/
crontab
exports
fstab
group
gshadow
host.conf
hostname
hosts
hosts.allow
hosts.deny
hosts.equiv
identd.conf
inetd.conf
init.d/
inittab
inputrc
ioctl.save ?
issue
issue.net
kbd/
ld.so.cache
ld.so.conf
lilo-rotate.conf
lilo.conf
localtime
login.defs
modules
modules.conf
modutils/
motd
mtab
network/
networks
passwd
ppp/
rc.boot/
rc0.d/
rc1.d/
rc2.d/
rc3.d/
rc4.d/
rc5.d/
rc6.d/
rcS.d/
resolv.conf
rmt
securetty
security/
serial.conf
services
shadow
shells
site-start.d/
sudoers
super.tab
sysctl.conf
syslog-ng
syslog.conf
terminfo/
timezone
List of everything else is probably too long for public mailing list.
I'll send by mail if somebody is interested.
- Jukka
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