[Fedora-directory-users] FHS packaging - combine old and new with symlinks

[Mark A. Schwenk]

Richard Megginson wrote:
> As an attempt to compromise between the users who want the old layout 
> and those who want an FHS style layout, I propose having the package do 
> both.  That is, the files would be put on disk under /opt/fedora-ds, 
> then symlinks would be created to those files and directories to 
> correspond to the FHS layout.

I have worked with systems that use symbolic links in similar capacities 
and usually find that in spite of having an understanding of symbolic 
links, I tend to get caught up in the iliusion that they are trying to 
create and do things that make sense in the illusory world but not in 
the real world.

For example copying /etc/named.conf to /etc/named.conf.bak before 
modifying it and then afterward discovering that /etc/named.conf and 
/etc/named.conf.bak are now both symbolic links to the same changed copy 
of the real file in /var/named/chroot/etc/named.conf.

I vote for either layout in preference to this proposed compromise.

But if pressed, my preference between FHS and /opt/fedora-ds would be 
for FHS.

-Mark Schwenk
  WellThot Inc.
  Helping buisnesses realize the value of free software
  http://wellthot.com/