[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: Environment variables for Debian (e.g. JAVA_HOME, etc)



On Thu, Sep 02, 2004 at 05:49:53PM -0500, Peter Samuelson wrote:
> 
> I'll summarize: Debian does not need a mechanism for packages to set
> system-wide environment variables, because Debian packages are not
> allowed to rely on environment variables at all.

The fact that Debian packages do not rely on them does not mean that Debian 
packages could not provide them to enhance the user environment. For 
example, some shell utilities could be enhanced by way of a system-wide 
environment. Administrators might want to have custom packages to enable 
system-wide stuff for users without the need to keep a configuration file 
in sync. There are some users for /etc/profile.d but most of them are not 
specific to Debian but, rather, to system customisation.

In any case, it's not worth discussing anymore. This horse has been beated
to death in the BTS [1], here [2] and even in debian-user [3]. The bottom
line is: if you want that, add it to your system and maintain it, it's not
going into base-files.

Regards

Javier

[1] See bug #114642, #163743, #170639 and #122817
Also read /usr/share/doc/base-files/FAQ 

[2] Google finds these:
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1997/05/msg00007.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1998/04/msg00823.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1998/07/msg02557.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1998/11/msg01506.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/1999/10/msg01714.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2000/06/msg00441.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2003/01/msg01244.html

[3] And even this: 
http://lists.debian.org/debian-user-spanish/2002/09/msg01266.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-user/2004/08/msg02264.html
http://lists.debian.org/debian-user-french/2004/05/msg01532.html
(probably some others, but I can't parse German)

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: Digital signature


Reply to: