RedHat, Fedora future?

[Robin Laing]

Mike Lurk wrote:
> Bob Marcan wrote:
> 
>>Adam Cooper wrote:
>>
> 
> Robin Laing
> 
> All a guide is just that, a guide, by default anything installed by the
> os is installed into the /usr/lib but anything installed by third party
> companies, lets say mozilla, are installed into, depending how you are
> installing it, preferably installing it as root, you could conceivably
> install it anywhere you want.  But if you install it as a user, the only
> place where you could install it is in the /home/user_name directory. So
> by token when you install an app switch to the root account and install
> it where you want, not just the defaults, the app will give an option
> where you would like it installed, just to keep with standards . Then
> make a link to the location, in /usr/bin to location of the app. Just as
> with the original. A lot of work but it is worth it, if you want to keep
> with standards.
> 
> I am ranting, sorry.
> 

Ranting is allowed. :)

As this issue is being discussed on the FHS list, some interesting 
issues have arrisen.  Remember, I am looking at this issue from 
comparing between distributions and ease of trouble shooting 
application problems.

It is easy to look at one distro but when you want to share 
/home/<user> across distros, the problem of configuration files and 
sym-links in the <users> directory become a problem.  I look at Open 
Office and Mozilla as two applications.  One person on the FHS list 
brought up the issue of Wine as well.

I also look at the problems that I have run into in regards to this 
problem where someone installs an update or later version that isn't 
using an RPM that uses a different directory.  This can and has caused 
problems for me in the past.  The number of times I have had to search 
and edit some configuration files for some link to the wrong directory.

I feel the easiest way to deal with different distros is to create 
sym-links to the default locations that the application installs from 
the maintainers site.

This will be an issue for many home users as Linux usage grows and 
could be a roadblock to growth and support from hardware/software 
suppliers.   At least this is my opinion.

I now know what to look for and I have a way to fix the problem.  I 
hope the standards become clearer to lesson this problem.

-- 
Robin Laing