Nethack 3.4.3 [PSARC/2008/172 FastTrack timeout 03/11/2008]

[James Carlson]

Danek Duvall writes:
> > Now, if I remember right (and I may not), this was the "bin" equivalent
> > for games.  If that's true, shouldn't this be place for nethack, the
> > executable?
> 
> It was true, and it's something the Linux folks have taken up, but I think
> it's a poor place, in a world where we're studiously trying to avoid
> ghettoizing components for no good reason.

I don't think that's accurate.  The /usr/sfw ghetto was created on
essentially irrelevant grounds: that the source was somehow "foreign"
because it was maintained by a non-Sun employee.  Using Sun's org
chart was really a poor way to design a system, and we've thankfully
given that up.

That doesn't mean, though, that the fundamental nature of what the
executable in question does is out of bounds.  If it's a system daemon
that nobody should ordinarily start by hand, we'll probably want it
under /usr/lib.  If it's an administrative tool, it goes under
/usr/sbin.  If it's needed before root is mounted ...

That's quite different from asking who wrote the code or other
non-architectural questions, so I think Joe's note about the meaning
of /usr/games is on point, if maybe archaic.

>  Linux compatibility here is
> irrelevant.

!

>  I just don't see a good reason to put anything under
> /usr/games.

I agree with that.  We've got lots of games in other places, so it
seems rather pointless to try to get that bit of purity back.

-- 
James Carlson, Solaris Networking              <james.d.carlson at sun.com>
Sun Microsystems / 35 Network Drive        71.232W   Vox +1 781 442 2084
MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757   42.496N   Fax +1 781 442 1677