Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 01:00:01 -0700 (PDT) From: Salvo Bartolotta <bartequi@inwind.it> To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: docs/21057: Little correction of hier(8) Message-ID: <200009200800.BAA86516@freefall.freebsd.org>
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The following reply was made to PR docs/21057; it has been noted by GNATS. From: Salvo Bartolotta <bartequi@inwind.it> To: Mark Ovens <marko@freebsd.org> Cc: freebsd-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.ORG, freebsd-doc@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: docs/21057: Little correction of hier(8) Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 08:50:32 GMT >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< On 9/19/00, 12:47:37 AM, Mark Ovens <marko@freebsd.org> wrote regarding Re: docs/21057: Little correction of hier(8): > On Fri, 08 Sep 2000 08:56:17 GMT, Salvo Bartolotta wrote: > > Dear FreeBSD doc'ers, > > > > In my quest for the Holy Grail, ahem, for the origin of the /usr > > "acronym", I received the following letter from Chris Coleman: > > > > --------------------- Forwarded Message ------------------------- > > > > At the moment, I cannot recall where I got that tid bit of > > information. Regardless of whether it originally stood for "user" or= > > not, calling it "User" would confuse new users.. Currently, the Uni= x > > System Resources live there and that is what it should be called. > > (IMHO) > > > > I may be alone in this definition, but that definition is at least 4= > > years old. I never questioned it. (Although, I may not be alone, > > because I have been propigating that definition for the last 3-4 > > years.) > > > > I found this definition in my searching, which may be more correct. > > > > Mount point for sharable user commands, libraries, and documentation= . > > http://www.kelley.iu.edu/shyu/hpguide.html#files > > > > Still, I'd prefer to keep using the Unix System Resources as a good > > acronym to help people remember and distinguish between "user" files= > > and "system" files. > > > > Feel Free to forward this to -doc if it helps any. > I prefer Unix System Resources as well, however, in The Unix > Programming Environment by Kernighan & Pike (1984) I find: > p22: "On many systems, /usr is a directory that contains the > directories of all the users of the system." > p48: "/usr is often the top directory of the user filesystem > (user is abbreviated to usr in the same spirit as cmp, > ls, etc.)." > p64 (Table 2.1): > /usr user file system > p65: "/usr is called the `user file system', although it may > have little to do with the actual users of the system." > So, what is the correct answer? Should I commit this PR, or just close= > it. It shouldn't be left lying around. Dear Mark Ovens, You are [most probably] right; the evidence you have given should be the ultimate historical answer. Chris himself pointed out that he was not quite sure about the origin of the "acronym" in question. I was wondering whether something like the following would do: "... originally abbreviated to usr in the same terse/concise [Unix] style/spirit as ls, cmp etc.; subsequently reinterpreted as Unix System Resources. The latter meaning seems to be more appropriate to the current [Free]BSD filesystem layout [...]". Unless other evidence and comments are provided, something like the foregoing seems (to me) a sensible choice. But ... beware of my English, I am Italian, after all :-) Best regards, Salvo To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-doc" in the body of the message
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