Re: /usr/local removed... but entries for it exist yet!

From: Igor Sobrado (igor_at_no-spam.on.the.net)
Date: 12/14/04

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    Date: 14 Dec 2004 21:24:22 +0100

    Martin Neitzel <neitzel@marshlabs.gaertner.de> wrote:
    > Igor Sobrado <igor@no-spam.on.the.net> wrote:
    >> There is not a requirement for /usr/local for customized software, though.
    >
    > Sigh, you still don't understand. I have a definite need for two
    > separate hierarchies:
    [...]

    One of the advantages of pkgsrc is that software can be build from
    its source (very easily, as the software is patched to build without
    problems on NetBSD and other pkgsrc supported platforms); as the software
    can be build from the source tarballs it can be easily customized. Some
    examples of customization:

      - we can chose between using some algorithms (e.g., RSAREF2) or building
        the software without support for those algorithms;
      - or using strong cryptography (USA_RESIDENT);
      - or chose what are acceptable licenses for us;
      - or make it with a different compiler (gcc, MIPSpro, WorkShop, ...);
      - or excluding some parts of the package (X11 support, texinfo files,
        GTK support...)
      - [...]

    All those changes can be applied without breaking the ability of pkgsrc
    to check dependencies. I doubt that software build in /usr/local can
    be more customizable. I have some software in /usr/contrib (something
    comparable to /usr/local) because these software packages are not
    upgraded usually (at most one upgrade each four or five years) and
    can be restored on a new system (I am building all software in /usr/contrib
    again to take advantage of the features of the new NetBSD 2.0 toolchain,
    but it is a completely different matter). Those software packages do
    not have dependencies on software installed in /usr/pkg too.

    A different issue is software *developed* locally, but most people
    do not writes software now. I have some software packages I wrote
    in the last years, but most of them are in $HOME/bin instead.

    Am I wrong? I think that /usr/pkg is as customizable as /usr/local was;
    and can be customized easily defining either environment variables or
    parameters in /etc/mk.conf.

    Igor.

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