Date:        Tue, 27 Aug 2002 15:25:58 +0200 (CEST)
    From:        Johnny Billquist <bqt@update.uu.se>
    Message-ID:  <Pine.LNX.4.21.0208271524120.4775-100000@Tempo.Update.UU.SE>

  | I don't want it to access any other file, be dependant on any other files,
  | or break when some other file is missing, that's all.

But why is it acceptable for /usr/bin/su or /usr/bin/gcc or
/usr/bin/make or ... to break, and not the things in /bin ?

If an important system file (of which there are hundreds, from /etc/passwd
to /bin/sh and /dev/lots and ...) goes missing, then it needs to be
recovered.   In some cases that is going to mean a single user boot
from the console (in others, boot from a backup device - floopy, CD,
or another drive).   The ability to do all of that remains.

So, once again, why?

kre