On Wed, 16 Dec 1998, Curt Sampson wrote:

: > Also, please note the move from /pkg to /usr/pkg, and the reasoning I
: > explained for this.
: 
: That was exactly the change I was referring to. I confess at this
: point I don't entirely understand the reasoning. Perhaps you could
: restate it for me?

People using the existing package system -- and more importantly, existing
binary pkgs -- have to do Nothing to use the new system; simply adding a
symlink at /usr/pkg (instead of letting pkg_add create the directory)
suffices to intermix binaries.  People who don't have to mix don't change a
thing.

: > : > 3. It must be possible to have the package system install files in a
: > : >    separate area, where they are not mixed in with the standard system
: > : >    binaries.

: > Not only should this not be dropped, this should remain the default(!) as is
: > currently is.
: 
: It's not the default in our new system, though.

Um, `our' new system reads that the default is not to intermix binaries.
Read my v2 edit again.  It gives the _provision_ that you can intermix by
making a symlink at /usr/pkg -- which, in fact, should work for you Right
Now.  :)

: How do you get the package configuration, score, spool, etc. files out
: of /var and /etc as the proposal stands now?

I *don't*.  These should not move regardless of installation location of the
binaries.  (See v2-edit's note about "NOT in $PREFIX/var...")

: > This requires a separate scheme whereby
: > such pkgs know how to move the system binaries out of the way no matter
: > where the replacement ones exist on the system.
: 
: Why not just pkg_delete the system binaries (because you got a
: PLIST with them when you installed) and pkg_add the new ones?

Because neither our current system nor the distrib-lists -> pkg proposal in
the works have that fine of granularity such that you can pkg_delete
something installed with the system distribution.  So, you move the system
stuff out of the way so that your pkg installed stuff will not conflict.

-- 
-- Todd Vierling (Personal tv@pobox.com; Bus. todd_vierling@xn.xerox.com)