Subject: Re: static vs. dynamic runtime linking, and silly 'ld -L' breakage
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Arto Huusko <arto.huusko@utu.fi>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 01/28/2005 23:42:13
> > Yes, I think /etc/ld.so.cache is a reasonable solution.  Defaulting

By the way, I have never understood why NetBSD (web) documentation
is so adamant that /etc/ld.so.conf is a really, really bad idea.

IMO, http://www.netbsd.org/Documentation/elf.html makes it pretty
plain that a) you should not have ld.so.conf, and b) if you have
it, you should get rid of it.

Of course, many good points supporting this view are made.
And the point is made that it is needed if people want to move
things around. However, it is not explained why that is a bad idea.
I can't understand why I shouldn't install my X to /usr/local/X11
if I wanted; without ld.so.conf no third party binary executable
would work, because they only have /usr/X11R6/lib in their search
path. Or as a more convincing argument, say I have a third party
binary with only /usr/lib search path, but I want to install the
binary and associated shared libraries under /usr/local.

In a way, the point 4 in the ld.so.conf entry of the web page
above is kind of ironic in this light: "the system should just
work..."