Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2017 21:12:08 +0100 From: Bob Eager <rde@tavi.co.uk> To: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: standard locations for port files Message-ID: <20170831211208.30cdc328@raksha.tavi.co.uk> In-Reply-To: <76pgqcptlcrvhuavu1bquknbbdfr8n0cdf@4ax.com> References: <59A82622.4030502@gmail.com> <729F1CC6-9A65-4CDF-B7E5-FB520779FD15@adamw.org> <dolgqcpv4ihqsjbas28v0bglrboat4po5c@4ax.com> <CA%2BtpaK2wFBV3-aUEYXQ3eVqMjxS2kE67G5uLVni=OEjiVe8MyA@mail.gmail.com> <76pgqcptlcrvhuavu1bquknbbdfr8n0cdf@4ax.com>
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On Thu, 31 Aug 2017 15:54:09 -0400 <scratch65535@att.net> wrote: > [Default] On Thu, 31 Aug 2017 13:53:27 -0500, Adam Vande More > <amvandemore@gmail.com> wrote: > > >On Thu, Aug 31, 2017 at 1:41 PM, <scratch65535@att.net> wrote: > > > >> Why wouldn't logs be in /usr/local/var/...? Given that all > >> other port "stuff" is under /usr/local, what advantage is there > >> in making logs an exception? > >> > > > >Because logs shouldn't be under /usr. > > Why not? The current location wasn't determined by natural law, > it was just someone's decision, almost certainly made without > much thought at all. It could be re-decided just as easily. The current hierarchy has had a lot of thought put into it. Files in /usr generally don't constantly change (although if /home is symlinked to /usr/home they might, I guess. Files in /var *do* change a lot, hence its name. It's also the reason that the root file system is separate; if it isn't written to much, it's less likely to sustain damage. /var is designed for files that *change* - that's why logs go there. If you want to, by all means create /var/local and put your logs there. A compelling reason, already mentioned, is that there are a lot of systems that have /usr mounted read only (e.g. net booted systems, or those that are booted from a USB stick). Such systems usually put /var in a RAM disk, so that logs can be kept. Even if /var is on an actual disk, it means that other parts of the file system can be kept read only. This improves reliability and integrity, and makes recovery after a crash a lot quicker. All in all, /var is the *right* place.
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