Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 19:11:39 +0200 From: Andreas Klemm <andreas@klemm.gtn.com> To: ache@freebsd.org, adam@algroup.co.uk, anders@fix.no, greg@greg.rim.or.jp, hetzels@westbend.net, perky@python.or.kr, rse@engelschall.com, sumikawa@freebsd.org Cc: ports@freebsd.org Subject: Are the locations of ports data and config files optimal ? Message-ID: <20010912191138.A9780@titan.klemm.gtn.com>
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--/04w6evG8XlLl3ft Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi, first of all I hope you all are well and not a victim of this unbelievable terror act that happened yesterday. I have some proposals for our apache ports, so I wrote directly to the port maintainers. During the writing of this mail it turned out to enlarge my idea to the ports system in general, so I drop a copy to ports as well. Theoretically I should perhaps write this all to developers, to ask all developers, what they think about that, but I think its better to ask some people first, if they think, that my ideas are beneficial or not. Anyway thanks for your time ! A) Concerning Apache ports: I think it would be more beneficial, if web documents would be located under a different directory location as it is organized now. Currently and in the past different directory names and locations have been used for the webservers root directory, currently we use: $PREFIX/www/data. Rationale: I'm about rebuilding everything under /usr/local new on my system. Since I dislike to wait for a pkg_delete (and I'm pretty sure that some stuff might remain), I'd like to simply newfs /usr/local and /usr/X11R6, which are separate filesystems here. Its common praxis by me, to backup everything under /usr/local/etc, so that I can re-use or migrate my config files after rebuilding/ reinstalling everything. Additionally I have to backup my other changes under /usr/local. For example I installed adzap to prevent advertisement banners. For that purpose I had to create a virtual webserver with web pages under /usr/local/www/data/<virtserverdir>. Other ports like setiathome place their database under /var/db. I like this concept. Whatever happens to my /usr/local tree I can immediately continue to run setiathome at its last current state. B) proposals to the ports system in general This brought me to the idea, to ask, if it would be possible, that ports place directories, where the user maintaines his own datastructures or databases (like its the case with seti or a webserver) into a different directory tree than /usr/local or /usr/X11R6. /var/local or /var/X11R6 come into my mind. Additionally it would be beneficial to perhaps move everything under /usr/local/etc to /var/local/etc .... I'd personally like to make this step forward, not only to separate FreeBSD (OS) and ports - which is one of the key advantages of FreeBSD over Linux in my eyes - but additionally to separate ports programs (simply the binaries, that make up a port) and configuration files and user data that are created by the users after a software has been installed. This would bring a new kind of freedom, not only being able to reinstall FreeBSD by source and the help of mergemaster but furhtermore being able to do a "monster upgrade" of application binaries without the danger to destroy/loose configuration or application data ... In short, I'd vote to place port binaries and shared data under /usr/local and /usr/X11R6 as it is now, but to create default directories for application data under /var/local and /var/X11R6. Even the rc.d files should be placed under /var/local/etc/rc.d, since its possible, that people use customized version. I think it would be a real win, if its possible to rebuild the world and ports without loosing data and without having to think what else under /usr/local has to be backup'd. Best regards Andreas /// --=20 Andreas Klemm Powered by Free= BSD Songs from our band >>64Bits<<..............http://hometown.aol.com/II64Bit= sII My homepage................................ http://people.FreeBSD.ORG/~andr= eas Please note: Apsfilter got a NEW HOME................http://www.apsfilter.o= rg/ --/04w6evG8XlLl3ft Content-Type: application/pgp-signature Content-Disposition: inline -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.0.6 (FreeBSD) Comment: Weitere Infos: siehe http://www.gnupg.org iD8DBQE7n5dJd3o+lGxvbLoRAi4FAKCXCFMbkDFbDckNNeeIq2DDgPuemQCdG6Vg gCYCfYEud9kQV0OxbUTUrBg= =HYmS -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- --/04w6evG8XlLl3ft-- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-ports" in the body of the message
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