[ On Thu, March 20, 1997 at 10:14:25 (-0500), Bill Sommerfeld wrote: ]
> Subject: layered software on NetBSD
>
> while there are many arguments in favor of something other than
> /usr/local, I don't think the benefit exceeds the cost.

/usr/contrib *please*.  (I'd vote for /contrib, but /usr/local has paved
the way for keeping still more crap under /usr, so be it....)

/usr/local is for *local* stuff, not third-party, or vendor, stuff.

/opt would be OK, but it's exceedingly complex and not really necessary
for non-clustered systems...

> If we use something like the FreeBSD `ports' mechanism, it would seem
> that those who have special requirements (e.g., building against
> multiple versions of Tcl/Tk at the same time) can always find the
> source and build against that; those who don't can just suck down the
> binary packages and avoid wasting their time rebuilding the exact same
> binaries they'd get in the binary package.

I think you missed the point -- I may want to use the public binary for
most stuff, but I may also want to have an older (or newer beta) of the
same package installed in my *local* (i.e. /usr/local) area too.

> As an alternative, installing into /usr/local/PKG-VER with symlinks
> from /usr/local might also work..

If you're going to do that then you *really* do want to use /opt.... 

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

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Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets Of The Weird <woods@weird.com>