Re: pkg_install: move pkgdb under ${PREFIX}

[Taylor R Campbell <campbell+netbsd-tech-pkg%mumble.net@localhost>]

> Date: Fri, 28 Aug 2020 20:42:42 -0400
> From: Greg Troxel <gdt%lexort.com@localhost>
> 
>   Logically pkgdb belongs in /var/db, per hier(7), and the problem
>   with that location is that it is logically connected to /usr/pkg,
>   but not in it, which leads to trouble.  And it is inconsistent in
>   netbsd vs bootstrapped pkgsrc.

I don't see why /var is logical.

Changes to pkgdb essentially always go hand in hand with changes to
/usr/pkg, for updates to the metadata and data of packages when the
set of installed packages changes (except for rare operations like
pkg_admin set automatic=yes).

Unlike the contrast between /usr and /var, it doesn't make much sense
to keep one read/write while the other is read-only -- if you're not
installing or removing packages there's no need to write to either
/usr/pkg or to pkgdb.

>   I don't like hiding it with ., as .pkgdb.  I think that's admitting
>   that it doesn't belong in /usr/pkg but that we put it there anyway.
>   (If it does belong, just call it pkgdb.  It's not like "ls -l
>   /usr/pkg" is often run, and that there is any value in hiding it.
>   Arguably, hiding it will confuse people more than it helps.)

It's metadata for the directory tree, like .git or .cvsignore or
.dir-locals.el -- seems reasonable to me to use `.' for that.