[Guidelines Change] Changes to the Packaging Guidelines

[Ralf Corsepius]

On 02/07/2012 08:08 AM, Bohuslav Kabrda wrote:
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> On 02/07/2012 07:38 AM, Bohuslav Kabrda wrote:
>>> Hi Tom,
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>> ---
>>>>
>>>> The section of the Packaging Guidelines covering /srv was amended
>>>> to
>>>> include /opt and /usr/local. Specifically, the following sentence
>>>> was
>>>> added:
>>>>
>>>>     In addition, no Fedora package can have any files or
>>>>     directories
>>>>     under /opt or /usr/local, as these directories are not
>>>>     permitted to
>>>>     be used by Distributions in the FHS.
>>>>
>>>> https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Packaging:Guidelines#No_Files_or_Directories_under_.2Fsrv.2C_.2Fopt.2C_or_.2Fusr.2Flocal
>>>>
>>>> ---
>>>
>>> Can I ask you where specifically you found the statement, that
>>> distributions cannot place their data under /opt?
>>
>> "/opt is reserved for the installation of add-on application software
>> packages."
>>
>> In this context, "add-on application software packages" are meant to
>> be
>> interpreted as "non-OS vendor supplied" packages.
>>
>> Ralf
>
> Again, citing FHS:
> "Distributions may install software in /opt, but must not modify or delete software installed by the local system administrator without the assent of the local system administrator."
>
> How can this be interpreted as "non-OS vendor supplied"?

Like others said, the FHS often leaves room for interpretation. To 
understand this you need to take the historic context into consideration.

The point in here is the definition of "add-on packages".

RH/Fedora has always interpreted "add-on packages" as "3rd party" 
packages (== packages not shipped by RH/Fedora), while other distros 
historically interpreted this differently.
  E.g. there was a time (> 10 years ago) SuSE had considered "gnome" to 
be an (optional) add-on package and had installed it into /opt/gnome.

Now, re-read the sentence in this context: The "may" is an escape to 
allow both these interpretations, while it also implies "distros may 
disallow". The latter is the option RH/Fedora has chosen long time ago.

Meanwhile probably all distros interpret the FHS in the RH/Fedora sense 
and 3rd parties (Most prominent example: Adobe) are shipping their 
packages installed into /opt.

Ralf