PATH=/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin considered harmful

[Andrew Haley]

On 06/22/2012 01:45 PM, Sam Varshavchik wrote:
> Andrew Haley writes:
> 
>> On 06/22/2012 01:19 PM, Sam Varshavchik wrote:
>>> Andrew Haley writes:
>>>
>>>>> Why not take /bin and /sbin out of the default path *and* make sure
>>>>> that RPM knows about /bin/* ?
>>> I would expect that changing rpm will be a long, tedious process. Which is
>>> understandable.
>>>
>>> But changing the default PATH that's compiled into bash should be a simpler
>>> change to push through; I see very low risk of any breakage or regressions;
>>> and it will probably solve a great majority of the resulting foobarage that
>>> cascades downstream into rpm-land.
>>>
>>> Making rpm a bit smarter is certainly a correct fix, but something else can
>>> also be done relatively quickly to take care of most of the current  
>> fallout.
>>
>> Well, yeah.  But the Law of unintended consequences applies, so we
>> must be careful.  I don't think that people expected symlinking
>> /usr/bin to /bin to be risky either.
> 
> Errr… Wait. Then UsrMove script that ran when I upgraded F16 to F17  
> symlinked /bin → usr/bin
> 
> If new F17 installs have /usr/bin → /bin, then this is an even bigger  
> clusterfrak.

It doesn't.  Don't worry.

Andrew.