On Fri, Apr 02, 1999 at 10:38:01PM +1000, Robert Elz wrote:

> I'm much prefer if we could gradually move all commonly updated files
> away from /etc (and the basic root filesys), so those who want it can
> make /etc into a long term static filesys - read only, even on cdrom or
> prom or similar (and yes, that means moving /etc/passwd as well, though
> that will be a major upheval).

The idea of root is to have a minimalist partition that contains a functional
system, isn't it? I don't see how we can have anything vital moved out of it,
personally. If folks want to have a read-only root, they'd ought to do what
you're suggesting and use symlinks. I strongly feel that our default should
have *all* machine-specific configuration information in /etc. I'd think it's
saner to be able to back up and restore easily and force folks who want stuff
like read-only roots to use symlinks than it is to have configuration in-
formation distributed across several filesystems while making it harder for
folks who want to centralize important information to do so.

-- 
Mason Loring Bliss             ((  "In the drowsy dark cave of the mind dreams
mason@acheron.middleboro.ma.us  ))  build  their nest  with fragments  dropped
http://acheron.ne.mediaone.net ((   from day's caravan." - Rabindranath Tagore