Subject: Re: moving etc/release from etc to base set
To: Johan Danielsson <joda@pdc.kth.se>
From: The Grey Wolf <greywolf@starwolf.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 09/02/2004 09:07:10
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Thus spake Johan Danielsson ("JD> ") sometime Today...

JD> Should that file live in /etc?

Absolutely:

1.  Process of elimination:

	It is potentially necessary in single-user mode, and so does
	  not belong under /usr (please no diatribes about how / and
	  /usr and /var and your mother's creamed chipped beef on toast
	  should all be in one grand unified filesystem, because I
	  disagree and you will not change my mind about this).
	It is not a binary, nor a library, and so does not belong in
	  any of /lib, /libexec, /bin, /sbin.
	It is not a device, thus does it not belong in /dev.
	It is static, thus would it stay out of /tmp.
	The root directory should not inherit any more files or
	  directories than absolutely necessary, so it should not be
	  at the top level of /.

	The only logical place for it to exist, then, is /etc.

2.  Prior art:

	At the very least, Solaris keeps /etc/release around.
	I think something similar is true for HP-UX.

3.  Default case:

	Seeing as /etc/release was missing for the longest time, I started
	to do this on my own machine.  I have ceased as /etc/release
	has sprung into being, and whomever engineered the generation
	of said file has my gratitude.  You have saved me a headache
	or three.

				--*greywolf;
- --
Friends don't let friends use System V.
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