>> /tmp is (at least, should be; [...]) a symlink to /var/tmp
>> (mentioned only in my first post).

> Symlinking /tmp to /var/tmp is a really bad idea,

I don't see why.

> especially if /var is a separate filesystem.  Imagine what happens if
> a program  needs to create a temporary file during single-user mode,
> before /var is mounted.

It uses the /var/tmp in the underlying filesystem, of course.  (If you
don't have one, then you've mis-set-up your /tmp and you can expect to
lose.)

> Besides, many programs expect that /tmp will be cleared on reboot,
> while /var/tmp will not be.

Such an expectation, if not explicitly supported by the machine's
admin, is broken and has been ever since claer_tmp went into rc.conf,
possibly longer.

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