Adam Cooper wrote:
From the Red Hat 9 "Getting Started Guide" Appendix D:
/usr/ - Contains files and directories directly relating to users of the system, such as programs and supporting library files
/opt/ - Directory where optional files and programs are stored. This Directory is used mainly by third party developers for easy installation and un-installation of their software packages.
I thought that makes their stance (as in Red Hat) pretty clear. I'm pretty new to this. Is this a non-standard way of doing thing then?
Adam Cooper
DEC^H^HCompaq^H^HHP Tru64 uses /opt and /usr/opt for their own add on packages:
Regards, Bob
Ah, this discussion shows that the question about where applications are installed isn't that easy to answer.
RH has stated one thing but as I have posted the question, when is an application become an option. If you download openoffice from openoffice.org and install it using all the defaults, it will install in /opt/openoffice but if you install OpenOffice from RH it will install in /usr/lib/openoffice.
From the Filesystem Hierarchy Standards is states "Large software packages must not use a direct subdirectory under the /usr hierarchy."
I don't know about you, but I would claim OpenOffice is a large software package.
Now if you don't install an application during installation of the OS does it become an optional program? What about users wanting/needing the latest patch or feature upgrade? This can cause problems for the new users.
As the thread is also looking at included applications, this can increase headaches for those less experienced. I see an add-on or plugin that will increase my usage. It isn't supplied by Fedora or RH due to copyright or other reasons and that is acceptable. But there are no RPM's (that I can find) so I download the add-on and follow the installation instructions. The problem occurs when I cannot find the specific directories as they are different than the default application install (/opt/xxx or /usr/local) as stated in the documentation. I have come across this in the past.
I always thought that the idea of standards is to make sure things work together with no headaches or problems with a disregard to distribution. I thought that was why the Linux Standards comities were created.
-- Robin Laing
