From: Kurt Fitzner <kfitz...@nexus.v-wave.com_NOSPAM_>
Subject: Linux File System Standard
Date: 1997/06/12
Message-ID: <5npgd4$1pk1@crash.videotron.ab.ca>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 248259910
Sender: r...@v-wave.com
Organization: Videotron Communications Ltd. (V-WAVE)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system
I would like to know where the Linux File System Standard is defined,
and where I can get a copy of it.
I have a /very/ old slackware installation that I've upgraded by hand
so much that the original has been replaced piece by piece several
times over. I want to get my filesystem in order and clean out the chaff
left behind.
Thanks.
Kurt Fitzner.
From: ricke...@fishy.ox.compsoc.org.uk (Tim Ricketts)
Subject: Re: Linux File System Standard
Date: 1997/06/15
Message-ID: <5nv8q1$e81@fishy.ox.compsoc.org.uk>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 248458826
References: <5npgd4$1pk1@crash.videotron.ab.ca>
Organization: Oxford University Computer Society
Reply-To: Timothy.Ricke...@Ox.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system
In article <5npgd4$1...@crash.videotron.ab.ca>,
Kurt Fitzner <kfitz...@nexus.v-wave.com_NOSPAM_> wrote:
>I would like to know where the Linux File System Standard is defined,
>and where I can get a copy of it.
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/fsstnd/
>I have a /very/ old slackware installation that I've upgraded by hand
>so much that the original has been replaced piece by piece several
>times over. I want to get my filesystem in order and clean out the chaff
>left behind.
I'd recommend starting from scratch in this case.
--
--
Tim
Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum viditur.
From: Mike Dowling <m...@moocow.math.nat.tu-bs.de>
Subject: Re: Linux File System Standard
Date: 1997/06/15
Message-ID: <vuwwnwdv0e.fsf@moocow.math.nat.tu-bs.de>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 248576943
Distribution: world
References: <5npgd4$1pk1@crash.videotron.ab.ca> <5nv8q1$e81@fishy.ox.compsoc.org.uk>
Organization: IBR, TU Braunschweig, Germany
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system
>>> On 15 Jun 1997 00:17:21 +0100, ricke...@fishy.ox.compsoc.org.uk (Tim Ricketts) said:
Tim> In article <5npgd4$1...@crash.videotron.ab.ca>, Kurt Fitzner
Tim> <kfitz...@nexus.v-wave.com_NOSPAM_> wrote:
>> I would like to know where the Linux File System Standard is defined, and
>> where I can get a copy of it.
Tim> ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/fsstnd/
>> I have a /very/ old slackware installation that I've upgraded by hand so
>> much that the original has been replaced piece by piece several times over.
>> I want to get my filesystem in order and clean out the chaff left behind.
Tim> I'd recommend starting from scratch in this case.
From what I've seen of distributions, they generally pay no heed to the linux
filesystem standard. I, for one, find it easy to mainatin a standard linux
system by hand. Some distributions make this virtually impossible.
As far as I can see, the standard is currently incomplete. Apparently, the
SYSV standard makes no provision for the /usr/local branch, but places site
software in /opt instead. The linux filesystem standard has noticed this
belatedly, but does not come down off the fence and reccommend one as opposed
to the other. Until it does, I'll stick to using /usr/local, partly because
the transition would cost a lot of effort, and partly because the FSF still
installs in /usr/local by default, which is therefore where GNU software lives
on our workstations. (GNU lives in /usr on Linux.)
Cheers,
Mike
From: br...@pixar.com (Bruce Perens)
Subject: Re: Linux File System Standard
Date: 1997/06/17
Message-ID: <5o6hkh$gq0$1@pixar.com>#1/1
X-Deja-AN: 249106522
Distribution: world
References: <5npgd4$1pk1@crash.videotron.ab.ca> <5nv8q1$e81@fishy.ox.compsoc.org.uk> <vuwwnwdv0e.fsf@moocow.math.nat.tu-bs.de>
Organization: Pixar Animation Studios
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system
From: Mike Dowling <m...@moocow.math.nat.tu-bs.de>
> From what I've seen of distributions, they generally pay no heed to the linux
> filesystem standard.
The FSSTD has been supersceded by the Linux FHS (file hierarchy
standard). Daniel Quinlan <quin...@pathname.com> is the leader of the FHS
group (and previously the FSSTD group) and is the one to contact with
questions. He is also second-in-command of the Debian distribution, and we
take the standard seriously.
> Apparently, the SYSV standard makes no provision for the /usr/local branch,
> but places site software in /opt instead.
Actually, /opt and /usr/local have somewhat different purposes. One is for
site-local software and the other for optional (but not necessarily site-local)
software packages.
> Until it does, I'll stick to using /usr/local, partly because
> the transition would cost a lot of effort, and partly because the FSF still
> installs in /usr/local by default, which is therefore where GNU software lives
> on our workstations. (GNU lives in /usr on Linux.)
GNU software that is built to their coding standard configures where it lives
with a prefix=<pathname> argument to the Configure program or the Makefile.
Most Debian package-build scripts simply set this to /usr and compile.
Since our system is mostly GNU software, it makes little sense to put it
in /usr/local as if it were a second-class citizen of the system.
Thanks
Bruce Perens
--
--
Bruce Perens K6BP Br...@Pixar.com 510-215-3502
Finger br...@master.Debian.org for PGP public key.
PGP fingerprint = 88 6A 15 D0 65 D4 A3 A6 1F 89 6A 76 95 24 87 B3
|