[RFC] /var versus /srv

[Richi Plana]

On Fri, 2007-09-21 at 13:15 -0400, Simo Sorce wrote:
> On Fri, 2007-09-21 at 17:38 +0200, Nicolas Mailhot wrote:
> > Le Ven 21 septembre 2007 16:49, Ralf Corsepius a écrit :
> > 
> > >>From the FHS:
> > > Chapter 5. The /var Hierarchy
> > > Purpose
> > > /var contains variable data files. This includes spool directories and
> > > files, administrative and logging data, and transient and temporary
> > > files.
> > 
> > And some transient files like spools may be backed up, but /var is not
> > for long-term data
> 
> B******t. :-)
> 2 Directory Servers put data in there:
> /var/lib/dirsrv
> /var/lib/ldap
> IIRC also MySQL and PostsgreSQL put data under /var/lib
> 
> I guess you care about your databases contents, do you? :-)

Unless I miss my guess, they're only there because someone packaging
things for Fedora put them there. I sincerely doubt that those
individual applications actually recommend a default location for their
database. Even if they did make a recommendation, that's what packagers
like Fedora have to decide on and override if need be.

The discussion is about coming up with a policy for where to place data
files and not backing up (though certainly with an eye out for back-up
policies, as well).

Again, things to consider when deciding where to place things:

1) Back-up policy and convenience
2) Storage concerns
3) That this is just a default and can be overridden by anyone, but it
makes it easy for any person who knows Fedora to administer any other
Fedora box
4) FHS guidelines (what is Fedora's policy? Interpretation of certain
vague statements)
--

Richi Plana