Subject: Re: Comments on Draft 2

From: [email-masked] (David W. Summers)
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 92 10:42 CST

I've been watching the debate about where to put Admin files and executables.

What I would like is to have the executables either in /etc/bin or /usr/etc
and the admin files themselves in /etc.

Someone mentioned that they "didn't understand this fascination with keeping
executables out of etc."

Well, I would like to keep them out, because sometimes it is confusing
(even to Sys. Admin. types like me! :-) whether or not a file (just by looking
at the file name) is supposed to be an executable or a data file).  I know,
you can "ls -l" and see, but I like the separation of data files and executables
like we normally have in other directories.

I agree there should probably not be any executables in /lib or /usr/lib, but
then again, we need somewhere to put that stuff.  I think that many (most?)
times things like that should go in /etc/bin or /usr/etc.

As to where root's home should go, how about "/root" ????

   - David Summers

---

From: [email-masked] (The Grand Master)
Date: Thu, 13 Feb 92 13:13:15 EST

In the unforgettable words of  David W. Summers:
->
->I've been watching the debate about where to put Admin files and executables.
->
->What I would like is to have the executables either in /etc/bin or /usr/etc
->and the admin files themselves in /etc.
->
->Someone mentioned that they "didn't understand this fascination with keeping
->executables out of etc."
->
->Well, I would like to keep them out, because sometimes it is confusing
->(even to Sys. Admin. types like me! :-) whether or not a file (just by looking
->at the file name) is supposed to be an executable or a data file).  I know,
->you can "ls -l" and see, but I like the separation of data files and executables
->like we normally have in other directories.

Try "ls -F". Files in /etc are ones that are needed for basic system 
administration, etc. This is normal, and there is no reason to change it.
Do you yet another directory for shell scripts? They are different from
binaries, and yet different from data files as well. Maybe we
should have another directory that just holds passwd and group. They
are different from utmp or mtab. You can carry division too far (which
you are doing). I am sure there are shell scripts (or even c-programs)
that have /etc/{some normal system admin command} in them. Do *YOU* want
to have to convert all those??
->
->I agree there should probably not be any executables in /lib or /usr/lib, but
->then again, we need somewhere to put that stuff.  I think that many (most?)
->times things like that should go in /etc/bin or /usr/etc.

THERE ARE EXECUTABLES IN /usr/lib. WHAT DO YOU THING cpp IS???????
->
->As to where root's home should go, how about "/root" ????

No. / is apropriate. That is the whole purpose of calling the user root.

			Bruce
-- 
Disclaimer: The aka "The Grand Master"         Courtesy of Bruce Varney
            is due to an inside joke among     aka -> The Grand Master
            myself and some old friends -      [email-masked]
            so please don't take offense       PUCC