2:59 a.m.
Hi,
I am preparing a package for submission to Fedora.US/Fedora Extras. This
package comes with a couple of demo applications I plan to put into a
separate sub-package.
Where to install these applications to on FC?
What do Fedora conventions recommend?
IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
applications are "not really useful".
Installing them to datadir (/usr/share) or pkgdatadir
(/usr/share/<package>) also does not seem appropriate, because these
files are architecture dependent.
Remains $libexecdir/<package>.
Ralf
3:51 a.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 09:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
Hi,
I am preparing a package for submission to Fedora.US/Fedora Extras. This
package comes with a couple of demo applications I plan to put into a
separate sub-package.
Where to install these applications to on FC?
What do Fedora conventions recommend?
IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
applications are "not really useful".
Installing them to datadir (/usr/share) or pkgdatadir
(/usr/share/<package>) also does not seem appropriate, because these
files are architecture dependent.
Remains $libexecdir/<package>.
Ralf
When you separate out the demos into a subpackage, I think it is OK to
put the binaries into /usr/bin, because in this case the package would
only be installed by those people interested in the demos, and can
easily be removed afterwards.
--
Gérard Milmeister
Tannenrauchstrasse 35
8038 Zürich
gemi(a)bluewin.ch
3:59 a.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:51, Gérard Milmeister wrote:
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 09:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I am preparing a package for submission to Fedora.US/Fedora Extras. This
> package comes with a couple of demo applications I plan to put into a
> separate sub-package.
>
> Where to install these applications to on FC?
> What do Fedora conventions recommend?
>
> IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
> applications are "not really useful".
>
> Installing them to datadir (/usr/share) or pkgdatadir
> (/usr/share/<package>) also does not seem appropriate, because these
> files are architecture dependent.
>
> Remains $libexecdir/<package>.
$libexec only contains binaries that are never invoked directly, but
only through another program. So this is not the correct place to put
demos in. If there is a large number of demo apps, you could put them
into /usr/lib/<packagename>/demos, so as not to pollute /usr/bin.
--
Gérard Milmeister
Tannenrauchstrasse 35
8038 Zürich
gemi(a)bluewin.ch
6:08 a.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:59, Gérard Milmeister wrote:
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:51, Gérard Milmeister wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 09:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I am preparing a package for submission to Fedora.US/Fedora Extras. This
> > package comes with a couple of demo applications I plan to put into a
> > separate sub-package.
> >
> > Where to install these applications to on FC?
> > What do Fedora conventions recommend?
> >
> > IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
> > applications are "not really useful".
> >
> > Installing them to datadir (/usr/share) or pkgdatadir
> > (/usr/share/<package>) also does not seem appropriate, because these
> > files are architecture dependent.
> >
> > Remains $libexecdir/<package>.
$libexec only contains binaries that are never invoked directly, but
only through another program. So this is not the correct place to put
demos in.
Hmm, I see that using $libdir/<package> could be an approach, but
..
According to the FHS similar considerations as you outline for
$libexecdir apply to /usr/lib
[http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#PURPOSE22]
Using libdir also seems to be questionable with respect to the GNU
Standards, which say
[http://www.gnu.org/prep/standards_54.html#SEC54]:
`libdir'
The directory for object files and libraries of object code. Do
not install executables here, they probably ought to go in
`$(libexecdir)' instead.
However, both standards leave room for interpretation. The GNU Standards
don't cover $libdir/<subdir> and the FHS seems to leave room about their
understanding on "users" (Normal users normal don't execute demos,
developers will, and do expect to find demos at odd places).
Does anybody know what other Linux distributors do?
If there is a large number of demo apps, you could put them
into /usr/lib/<packagename>/demos, so as not to pollute /usr/bin.
That's
exactly what I am trying to do. I don't want to pollute /usr/bin
with several dozens of tiny demos (ca. 100).
Ralf
10:08 a.m.
Hi Ralf,
Installing them to datadir (/usr/share) or pkgdatadir
(/usr/share/<package>) also does not seem appropriate, because these
files are architecture dependent.
A find will show you that most packages that ship demos store these in
/usr/share/<package>. Maybe not correct, but at least common practice.
Leonard.
--
mount -t life -o ro /dev/dna /genetic/research
11:17 a.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because
these
applications are "not really useful".
My .02€: If they're in a -demo or -samples subpackage, IMO it's fine to
install them to /usr/bin. The package name should be a strong enough
hint that it contains "not really useful" stuff; people not wanting that
can just skip installing the subpackage or erase after trying it out.
11:36 a.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 18:17, Ville Skyttä wrote:
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
> applications are "not really useful".
Are these binaries from code
examples for some library or similar?
If yes, it might make better sense not to include the binaries, but only
the source code in /usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
and make sure there is a functioning Makefile to build the binaries,
i.e. allow the user to 'cp -a /usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
.' and then make.
--
Gérard Milmeister
Tannenrauchstrasse 35
8038 Zürich
gemi(a)bluewin.ch
12:05 p.m.
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 18:36, Gérard Milmeister wrote:
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 18:17, Ville Skyttä wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
>
> > IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
> > applications are "not really useful".
Are these binaries from code examples for some library or similar?
Yes. Most of
them are coding examples for a library, very few of them
are actual "usable sample applications".
If yes, it might make better sense not to include the binaries, but
only
the source code in /usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
and make sure there is a functioning Makefile to build the binaries,
i.e. allow the user to 'cp -a
/usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
.' and then make.
I had considered this, but implementing this would require
substantial
effort (The package uses a bizarre and complex GNUmakefile system and
supports building the example code only as part of the complete
source-tree.)
Meanwhile I have checked what Debian does with this particular package:
* They do not ship the coding examples
* They install the sample-applications to /usr/lib/<package>
Ralf
11:31 p.m.
On Tue, 29 Jun 2004, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 18:36, Gérard Milmeister wrote:
> On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 18:17, Ville Skyttä wrote:
> > On Tue, 2004-06-29 at 10:59, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> >
> > > IMO, they should not be installed to bindir (/usr/bin), because these
> > > applications are "not really useful".
> Are these binaries from code examples for some library or similar?
Yes. Most of them are coding examples for a library, very few of them
are actual "usable sample applications".
> If yes, it might make better sense not to include the binaries, but
> only
> the source code in /usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
> and make sure there is a functioning Makefile to build the binaries,
> i.e. allow the user to 'cp -a
> /usr/share/doc/<package-name>-demos-<ver>
> .' and then make.
I had considered this, but implementing this would require substantial
effort (The package uses a bizarre and complex GNUmakefile system and
supports building the example code only as part of the complete
source-tree.)
Meanwhile I have checked what Debian does with this particular package:
* They do not ship the coding examples
* They install the sample-applications to /usr/lib/<package>
My +1 for /usr/lib/<package> in general for small demo applications,
depending on the case /usr/bin can be ok as well if the demos are in
separate package.
I'd still put the coding examples to -devel package under documentation,
doesn't matter if it compiles there or not, it's often useful just to
see some sample code for a given library even if you can't compile it
where it is.
- Panu -
7237
days inactive
7238
days old
8 comments
5 participants
participants (5)
-
Gérard Milmeister -
Leonard den Ottolander -
Panu Matilainen -
Ralf Corsepius -
Ville Skyttä