Robin Laing (Robin.Laing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx) said:
[quote] /opt : Add-on application software packages Purpose
/opt is reserved for the installation of add-on application software packages.
From the standards it is clear that Fedora is installing OpenOffice and Mozilla in the wrong directories. I have not had a chance to check on a totally Fedora machine about various application ~/ config files.
Applications shipped with the OS (Mozilla, OpenOffice) are by definition not add-ons.
Bill
This is one thing that I thought of but in my mind, I see that the programs are add-ons to the OS. Following this train of thought, any application that is installed later should install in /opt correct? If I install a bare-bones Fedora without apps, then add OpenOffice later, it becomes an add-on as it was added later. When does an application move from being part of the OS install to being an add-on?
This makes me think or the investigations of Microsoft including IE and WMP and saying that it is part of the OS.
If you look at the description of in the standards it for /usr/lib it states "... that are not intended to be executed directly by users or shell scripts." This contradicts their own statement about putting applications in a subdirectory, go figure.
I still look at the aspect of compatibility between different distros and how the binaries are provided by the software writers being a problem to many new users or those that must work with different distros. I have seen the frustration with new users reading documentation that isn't written for RH distros and not finding the files.
I always think of standards as being a way to ensure no one has to write software or code to a specific system. I thought of this on the way to work this morning. I look at an installation of an ad don or application from a third party and where it should be located. Now if the support or README for the application states that you use /opt/application/templates as a directory but the distro installs it in another directory then the administrator has to ensure that it does get installed in the correct directory.
In the past I have created simlinks to /opt/application for compatibility for binaries and other applications that required them to ensure that they would work. Also to ensure that configuration files with links in the /home directories could be shared between distros.
I read this slashdot article and it is a similar discussion about the differences between distros.
Which Style Init Scripts Do You Prefer? http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/05/2331259&mode=thread&tid=126&tid=130&tid=156&tid=185&tid=190
People have personal preferences. I really liked RH after moving from Slackware back in 95.
I am going to join the FHS discussion list as I feel that this is an interesting thought.
Thanks for the in site.
-- Robin Laing
