/usr/local/bin

Message

Lavene · #1 Post by **Lavene** » 2007-01-17 09:44

A quick question: In order to make a program as easy as possible to execute, is it regarded OK to put the executable(s) in /usr/local/bin?

Tina

Grifter · #2 Post by **Grifter** » 2007-01-17 11:28

yes, there it will not interfere with apt

thamarok · #3 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-01-17 12:53

Extending the question: Would it be good practice to make your own made programs install to /usr/local/bin/ and config files and others to /usr/share/?

Grifter · #4 Post by **Grifter** » 2007-01-17 13:01

non-package config files go into /usr/local/etc, but other than that yes

just download a source package and look thru its makefiles and configure scripts, /usr/local exists so that you can put files there without worrying about messing up the package manager

thamarok · #5 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-01-17 13:08

I mean, if I install xaralx, it puts the binary to /usr/bin/xaralx and not /usr/local/bin/xaralx.. so if I was the maker of Xara LX, would it be good practice to make the program install the binaries to /usr/local/bin/?

And a lot of programs use /usr/share/ for their configs.. here to list a few (but note that some of these programs use other paths aswell):
XMMS
MPlayer
Firefox/Iceweasel
ALSA
MySQL

Lavene · #6 Post by **Lavene** » 2007-01-17 13:15

Thanks to the Oracle of Sweden

Tina

thamarok · #7 Post by **thamarok** » 2007-01-17 17:20

Lavene wrote:Thanks to the Oracle of Sweden

Tina

Stop day-dreaming of ponies and Oracles of Sweden

ajdlinux · #8 Post by **ajdlinux** » 2007-01-17 23:50

thamarok wrote:I mean, if I install xaralx, it puts the binary to /usr/bin/xaralx and not /usr/local/bin/xaralx.. so if I was the maker of Xara LX, would it be good practice to make the program install the binaries to /usr/local/bin/?

If the software can easily be removed it can be installed in /usr rather than /usr/local however if you touch /usr you have to remember that dpkg/apt could overwrite files at any time. For xaralx I think it's OK.

And a lot of programs use /usr/share/ for their configs.. here to list a few (but note that some of these programs use other paths aswell):
XMMS
MPlayer
Firefox/Iceweasel
ALSA
MySQL

Programs that use /usr/share for *configuration* files should have SERIOUS bugs filed. /etc is where configuration files belong, /usr/share is for arch-independent data files, including graphics, documentation (including *sample* configuration files), game levels, etc.

When installing in /usr/local configs go to /usr/local/etc and share files go to /usr/local/share.