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Rage Against the File System Standard

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the stuff-to-read dept.

pwagland submitted a rant by Mosfet on file system standards. I think he's sort of over simplified the whole issue, and definitely wrongly assigned blame, but it definitely warrants discussion. Why does my /usr/bin need 1500 files in it? Is it the fault of lazy distribution package management? Or is it irrelevant?

3 of 612 comments (clear)

  1. The Alternative? by Mike+Connell · · Score: 4, Redundant

    I'd much rather have 2000 binaries in /usr/bin than 2000 path entries in my $PATH

    Mike

    --
    Tales from behind the Lagom Curtain
  2. at last!!! by Achilleas · · Score: 0, Redundant

    the solution is simple : use subdirectories, and provide sym-links to a main directory which is standard...

  3. NG (Next Generation) Directory Structure - Repost by alphora · · Score: 0, Redundant

    NG (Next Generation) Unix Directory Structure Standard First Draft / -- no files here, one thing unix did right /Config -- /etc /Config/Boot -- /boot /Devices -- /dev /Devices/Processor -- /proc, maybe /System would be better /System -- /usr, contains no files /System/Executables -- /usr/bin, be in path /System/Executables/Admin -- /usr/sbin & /sbin, be in path for admins /System/Libraries -- /lib & /usr/lib /System/Manual -- /usr/man, /usr/doc, etc. /Programs -- /opt & /usr/local, contains no files /Programs/Executables -- symlinks only, be in path /Programs/Manual -- symlinks only to docs. either man pages or entire directories /Programs/ProgramName -- program executables should reside here (at least primary ones) /Programs/ProgramName/Config /Programs/ProgramName/Whatever -- remaining directories should be app specific /Home -- contains no files, maybe it should be /Users /Home/UserName -- contains files /Home/UserName/Programs -- user installed programs /Home/UserName/Programs/Executables -- should be in users path, symlinks only /Home/UserName/Desktop /Home/UserName/Mail /Home/UserName/Documents /Home/UserName/Web /Temp -- /tmp /Drives -- /mnt, maybe something else? Unix Directory Structure - Probably been around since 1970. Really defines unix more than anything. Gonna have to be redone some time - Or else we will always look archaic next to windows, etc. Everything WILL be broken - Might as well make it look good and redo it all. Case Insensitive File Names - Do they really add anything? Include files = Evil. - Shouldn't have include directories. Libraries - Not sure what to do with those directories, as far as program libraries. Should there be a /Programs/Libraries I'm thinking that X, Perl, Emacs, Vi, etc. would go under /Programs. Only the standard system utils should go under /Programs/Executables I don't like seperate partitions for some of the root directories. More trouble than it's worth. Fully open to suggestions. Is anyone interested in starting work with me on a distro project that would use such a file system? Bryan bryan@cooltext.com