Comments on: Purpose Behind The Linux Directory Structure http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/06/10/purpose-behind-the-linux-directory-structure/ Thoughts on software development and related, by Abhijit Nadgouda Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:27:34 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Abhijit Nadgouda http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/06/10/purpose-behind-the-linux-directory-structure/comment-page-1/#comment-60252 Abhijit Nadgouda Wed, 13 Jun 2007 02:40:38 +0000 http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/06/10/purpose-behind-the-linux-directory-structure/#comment-60252 Prem, thanks for your comment. Gobolinux does have a unique approach and is probably suitable for a personal computer. But with my experience, I think the FHS makes it easy to participate in networks, with various other systems. Regarding the various folders, I do not think it is a mess. /usr/lib is supposed to hold system files, so application files we install later should go into /usr/local/lib. /var is used to hold stuff like log files. A separate directory for this let you give appropriate permissions. I think it is really a personal choice. Ideally I would prefer a packaging/installation system which handled all these complexities from the user. The user really need not worry about where some installation should go, the installer should. Prem, thanks for your comment.

Gobolinux does have a unique approach and is probably suitable for a personal computer. But with my experience, I think the FHS makes it easy to participate in networks, with various other systems.

Regarding the various folders, I do not think it is a mess. /usr/lib is supposed to hold system files, so application files we install later should go into /usr/local/lib. /var is used to hold stuff like log files. A separate directory for this let you give appropriate permissions.

I think it is really a personal choice. Ideally I would prefer a packaging/installation system which handled all these complexities from the user. The user really need not worry about where some installation should go, the installer should.

]]> By: Prem Kurian Philip http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/06/10/purpose-behind-the-linux-directory-structure/comment-page-1/#comment-60112 Prem Kurian Philip Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:19:51 +0000 http://ifacethoughts.net/2007/06/10/purpose-behind-the-linux-directory-structure/#comment-60112 The Linux directory structure is actually a mess. Quite often the libraries get installed into /usr/local/lib instead of into /usr/lib. Also, the /usr/local/lib path does not get added into the ld path and must be set by hand. /var folder doesn't make much sense either. /etc directory is a mess too. It is hard to see what is a script and what is just a config file. Also, each configuration file has a completely different format. Also, the decision about what should be kept in /etc/ and what should be kept in subdirectories underneath /etc/ is not clear. Gobolinux (http://www.gobolinux.org) has a fresh approach to this. They have their own directory structure which seems to make more sense. The Linux directory structure is actually a mess. Quite often the libraries get installed into /usr/local/lib instead of into /usr/lib. Also, the /usr/local/lib path does not get added into the ld path and must be set by hand.

/var folder doesn’t make much sense either.

/etc directory is a mess too. It is hard to see what is a script and what is just a config file. Also, each configuration file has a completely different format. Also, the decision about what should be kept in /etc/ and what should be kept in subdirectories underneath /etc/ is not clear.

Gobolinux (http://www.gobolinux.org) has a fresh approach to this. They have their own directory structure which seems to make more sense.

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