[maemo-developers] Considering /opt and MyDocs in your packages

[From: Andraž 'ruskie' Levstik]

:2009-09-10T08:55:Andrew Flegg:

> On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 08:41, Andraž 'ruskie' Levstik
> <ruskie at codemages.net> wrote:
> >
> > Frankly if this would become a standard I think there'll be atleast some
> > people that will setup their own autobuilder to install to regular /usr
> > or /usr/local.
> 
> Why do you care, as a user, where the package contents get installed?
> I really struggle to think of any really compelling reason.

Because I expect certain things to be where I expect them. Just like on
a BSD system I expect anything I install to be in /usr/local so I would
expect on any GNU+Linux system to have them in /usr

> 
> > I know I'll remove any traces of vfat and expand existing partitions so
> > I'll be able to install normally.
> 
> Things will be installed into /opt transparently to the user using App
> Mgr, apt or dpkg. The burden is on the packager, not the user.

That's great for those users that will only really use the nice UI.

> > I wouldn't be opposed to having two repos opt and usr so that a user can
> > make their own choice on how to do it. That way nobody would be limited
> > to one or the other.
> 
> I really can't see this working, and don't understand the "limited to"
> bit - or your desire to switch.

It's about the freedom to choose how one wishes to configure a system
they own(you know I pay for it therefor I own the device and am free to
do with it as I please, unlike certain other industries that want to 
rent it out to you only).

As said I can understand there might be technical limitations to
preferring /opt or any other location for this but I think it shouldn't
be limited to that.

Another solution which I don't know if anyone looked at it would be:

LVM. Simply have a small basic root with everything needed to boot there
and then have /usr and /home as LVM volumes with triggers in dpkg(I
guess would be the lowest most layer) to re-adjust size dynamically to
needed size. Optimal solution really. :)

Regards
-- 
Andraž ruskie Levstik
Source Mage GNU/Linux Games/Xorg grimoire guru
Re-Alpine Coordinator http://sourceforge.net/projects/re-alpine/
Geek/Hacker/Tinker

Be sure brain is in gear before engaging mouth.