tech-userlevel: Re: moving etc/release from etc to base set

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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