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shell script sniplets in /usr/bin?



Hello,

until now I was under the impression that /usr/bin/ should only
contain programs which are expected to be directly called by users.

In bug #292759 the maintainer of gettext-base claims, that it is also
ok to install shell script sniplets, which are not executable on
itself into /usr/bin/

    On Sat, 29 Jan 2005, Jochen Voss wrote:

    > Package: gettext-base
    > Version: 0.14.1-8
    > Severity: normal
    >
    > Hello,
    >
    > the gettext-base package installs the file gettext.sh into the
    > /usr/bin/ directory.  The file looks like a shell script first,
    > but it has the executable bit not set and starts with the line
    >
    >     #! /bin/false
    >
    > Therefore the file is not executable and should not be installed in
    > /usr/bin/.  I guess a good place for it would be
    > /usr/share/gettext-base/examples/ if it is unused or
    > /usr/share/gettext-base in case it is used by some other part of the
    > gettext framework.

    This is not a bug.

    The file gettext.sh is meant to be sourced by shell scripts in this way:

    . gettext.sh

The FHS is not as clear on this issue as I thought it might be.
It just states

    4.2  /usr/bin : Most user commands

    This is the primary directory of executable commands on the system.
    /usr/bin -- Binaries that are not needed in single-user mode
    +-mh        Commands for the MH mail handling system
    +-X11       Symlink to /usr/X11R6/bin

My question: does anybody have further references for the question
whether it is ok or maybe even preferable to install non-programs in
/usr/bin?

All the best,
Jochen
-- 
http://seehuhn.de/

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