Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 15:03:19 +0200 From: Giorgos Keramidas <keramida@freebsd.org> To: Nathan Arun <nathan_arun@hotmail.com> Cc: arch@freebsd.org Subject: Re: a suggestion Message-ID: <20020124130318.GA4375@hades.hell.gr> In-Reply-To: <F88HOzyfyz5b6KZmcK80000ce69@hotmail.com> References: <F88HOzyfyz5b6KZmcK80000ce69@hotmail.com>
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On 2002-01-24 00:18:02, Nathan Arun wrote:
> Hello FreeBSD developers,
> I sent an e-mail to freebsd core team. Mr. Warner Losh suggested I
> should sent that e-mail to this arch list.
>
> So here it is.
>
> thanks
> Nathan
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> To FreeBSD Core Team:
> [...]
> May I dare suggest a cosmetic change to FreeBSD? Please set aside your
> contempt for a windows programmer and objectively assess my e-mail.
>
> Section 3.3 of the handbook outlines the directory structure. How about
> changing the structure to something akin to windows? Say
Although you have a point that the UNIX tree takes a bit of time to
get used to, here's a few comments why there is absolutely no reason
to make so radical changes to the filesystem structure (apart from the
obvious objection that you are trying to change FreeBSD to suit what
you are used to, and cause grief, discomfort, and surprise to
everybody else who already uses it -- which sounds a bit selfish to
me, but I'll let it pass):
> /sys/conf --> conf file location for binaries in /sys
Why not /system/<PROGRAM>/configuration as you have outlined in /apps?
> /sys/log --> log file location for binaries in /sys
Ditto, /system/<program>/log would someone else suggest.
> /sys/src --> source code for the binaries in /sys
Someone else would suggest /sources/system/... here.
> /sys/include, /sys/lib --> C/C++ sdk
There are tons of languages. Why don't you extend this to be:
/system/language/binaries
/system/language/binaries/compilers
/system/language/binaries/interpreters
/system/language/binaries/linkers
/system/language/include
/system/language/libraries
/system/language/documentation/tutorials
/system/language/documentation/reference
...
> /apps --> all applications. for e.g. /apps can have
> /apps/apache --> application binaries
> /apps/samba --> application binaries
> /apps/X11R6
> /apps/src --> source code of all the ports (6000+).
Think of what your $PATH would have to be to accomodate for 6000+
entries like /applications/program/binaries. Keep in mind that all
these are in the environment, and a copy of the environment is saved
for every process you as a user runs. Let me remind you that the
entire PATH has to be searched every time you execute a command from
(say) its 3763'th component.
> So there will be only 4 file systems: /, /sys, /apps, /usr.
And the overhead that wou saved by axing away the current tree
structure was replaced by the overhead of another one. On top of
this, you are suggesting to throw away years of accumulated wisdom,
forget all everyone knows about something that has been tested and
found that it works, to use some radically different replacement.
This is usually answered by the Linux crowd with simple (and somewhat
annoying, I have to admit) things like:
Cool. Show us the code now!
But, I don't want to sound evil or something. This type of thing
(asking that something gets replaced with a new, shining, more
'modern' way of doing things) is not always bad. Your bad in this
case is only that you seem to be trying to work around the fact that
you're new to FreeBSD, and have troubles finding your way around, in
the wrong manner. Instead of trying to change FreeBSD, please do at
least try to understand it first :)
Cheers,
--
Giorgos Keramidas . . . . . . . . . keramida@{ceid.upatras.gr,freebsd.org}
FreeBSD Documentation Project . . . http://www.freebsd.org/docproj/
FreeBSD: The power to serve . . . . http://www.freebsd.org/
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