Re: directory under /usr/bin -- Ok or not?
On Wed, 02 Nov 2011, Roger Leigh wrote:
> > Altogether, according to FHS /usr/lib/PKG is actually not preferable
> > location for them since indeed it is for solely internal use (and it is
> > now used to keep shared libraries)
> This is just nitpicking over the precise wording used.
really? since when it is nitpicking to quote FHS verbatim? once again:
"The following directories, or symbolic links to directories, must be in
/usr/bin, if the corresponding subsystem is installed:
Directory Description
mh Commands for the MH mail handling system (optional)"
?
> In practice,
> this *is* where they belong, and it is what every other package does
> (for example, postgresql). You can add that specific directory to
> your path, should you choose.
and I have been doing that for quite a few packages myself -- so I am
quite aware of this current "common practice". And that is why I
actually decided to check among standards and ask here either it
is mandated, because I always felt that executing anything from /usr/lib
felt awkward.
You might consider me blind or naive -- but so far none of the arguments
for not having a subdirectory under /usr/bin had any strongly supported
argument.
> When considering the divide between "internal use" and "for users",
> consider that if it's for users to invoke then it should simply be
> in the default path. It's not typical to need to add special
> directories to one's path, and it's certainly not encouraged or
> recommended.
Well -- that is all cool and in an ideal world I am with you on this
one. BUT it is often the case (e.g. with scientific software) that
suite provide bulk of (>100) cmdline tools. Some of those come without
unique names and are already widely used by people running Debian or
whatnot, so changing their habbits/scripts is not as easy as "lets just
renamed them". Sure thing we recommend upstream either coming up with
custom prefixes/unique names or gateway wrappers to avoid conflicts
and/or reduce hit on the proliferation of namespace of cmdline tools...
But once again -- it ain't happening at once and for all, so let's
not discuss this aspect further here.
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Yaroslav Halchenko www.ohloh.net/accounts/yarikoptic
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