Re: changing the default pkgdbdir used in bootstrap script

[Alistair Crooks <agc%pkgsrc.org@localhost>]

So that this discussion doesn't get de-railed, having the metadata
database beside or in the package hierarchy it describes is the only
way to allow multiple package hierarchies to co-exist. I disagree
about the function of /var/db (I view it as run-time metadata,
short-term until next reboot not long-term) and I do not think the
package metadata belongs there; I've had my own metadata under
${LOCALBASE} since 2001, as it was necessary for package views then,
and is still a good idea now. I'll take any suggestion, such as
Jonathan's, which puts it in ${LOCALBASE}

On 18 November 2016 at 09:08, David Holland <dholland-pkgtech%netbsd.org@localhost> wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 17, 2016 at 05:38:47PM +0000, Taylor R Campbell wrote:
>  >    Hardly - the package database is exactly the kind of read/write
>  >    metadata that belongs in /var. I have no objection if you want to put
>  >    /var in /usr on your machine (or even if you want to go back to having
>  >    /usr/adm) but it shouldn't be policy.
>  >
>  > When do you ever modify the pkgdb when you're not also modifying
>  > /usr/pkg or vice versa?
>  >
>  > Two exceptions come to mind:
>  > - pkg_admin set automatic=YES/NO
>  > - editing /usr/pkg/etc
>  >
>  > Neither of these seems compelling.
>
> To me the argument is mostly about what kind of data it is, not when
> it happens to be read-only. It's install-specific/system-specific
> metadata that describes the current system state. Having it in /usr
> instead of /var violates the POLA, just like going back to
> /usr/adm/utmp would.
>
> Ideally /var should be organized into subtrees like /usr is, so the
> pkgsrc package database should be in /var/pkg/db/pkgdb by default (to
> match /usr/pkg), but my understanding is that this doesn't work on
> various systems that already have a /var/pkg for something else.
>
> also too damn many packages don't honor VARBASE... someone(tm) should
> take steps about that.
>
> --
> David A. Holland
> dholland%netbsd.org@localhost
>