OCD programmers and backwards compatibility :-).

[Rahul Sundaram]

Les Mikesell wrote:
> Robin Laing wrote:
>> Alan wrote:
>>>> Now I have not followed the Linux Standards information lately but 
>>>> is this change moving more towards a standard across all versions of 
>>>> Linux?
>>>
>>> Linux Standard Base uses the File Heirarchy Standard for file locations,
>>> which in turn follows Unix tradition on the whole. X now follows the FHS
>>> and LSB general recommendations.
>>>
>>> At least one LSB version is ISO.
>>
>> So the moves in general are towards the standard so this will make 
>> applications that follow the standard work easier with Fedora.  Also 
>> it will make it less likely that these changes will just "occur" due 
>> to some programmers wish.
>>
>> I think it will make it easier for users down the road and Linux in 
>> general.
>>
> "Linux in general" would be better off if programs didn't have to know 
> about a
> special layout just for Linux..  Remember, most of the apps we user 
> aren't written
> specifically  for Linux and calling your layout LSB sounds about as 
> likely as
> calling your character set ASCII in terms of getting any kind of  universal
> agreement.  Why not try to make things the same across the *bsd's, Solaris,
> OSX, etc. too, if you are going to have to deal with the problems of 
> changes
> anyway?

LSB as many folks have pointed out before is not tied to Linux kernel 
despite the name. It is all open standards and nothing prevents other 
Unix and Unix like systems from being compatible with it.

Rahul