Hi Steve,

On Mon, Jul 03, 2017 at 10:20:33PM -0400, Steve Litt wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Daniel J Bernstein, known as djb, created a package manager, called
> slashpackage, that uses the Unix file hierarchy as the package
> manager's database. As far as I can see, it has the following
> (dis)advantages:
>
> ADVANTAGES:
> * Less crazy than apt-get, yum, xbps, pacman, etc
> * Always a determinate way to get to a file
> * Used heavily in djb and djb-inspired software
> * Requires no revision of "upstream" install scripts
>
> DISADVANTAGES:
> * Filesystem Hierarchy System (FHS) noncompliant directories /package
> and /command directly off the root.
> * I've never seen any distro that would allow anything directly off the
> root besides /usr, /var, /home, /tmp, /opt, /sys, /proc, /dev, /run
> * If everybody who thought they had a better idea were allowed to
> create their own directory directly off the root, the tree would be a
> zoo.

Many of the "traditional" top-level directories you listed are
relatively new. I don't think there's a problem with
adding a new top-level directory if a need arises.

It's not obvious from the slashpackage docs how a
package publishes resources such as libraries, fonts or config files.
I'm not sure he's proposing this as a blueprint for
a unixlike OS distribution.

I think the proposal is a rough sketch that would need
to be fleshed out through practice.

It's not a new idea that resources belonging to a program are more
easily managed when installed under a single directory.
GoboLinux has certainly gone into further detail.[1]
Nix is also relevant.

Nor is it new to publish executables by symlinks to all traditional
unix directory paths such as /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, etc.
Even systemd is touting that.[2]

Perhaps Devuan will follow.

Regardless, I think it would be an extraordinary package
that couldn't be accommodated comfortably within the
existing directory hierarchy. And I think Devuan is unlikely
to benefit from a new system of new top-level package directories
unless as part of a major reorganization, which for Devuan
can hardly be on the table.

Greetings,

Joel


1. https://github.com/gobolinux/Documentation/wiki/The-GoboLinux-Filesystem-Hierarchy
2. https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/TheCaseForTheUsrMerge/

> INFORMATION:
> The following discuss the thought behind djb's slashpackage package
> manager layout:
>
> http://skarnet.org/cgi-bin/archive.cgi?2:mss:1802:201707:npmlmocljngkmhfamaic
>
> https://cr.yp.to/slashpackage.html
>
> http://thedjbway.b0llix.net/builddjb.html
>
> https://cr.yp.to/slashpackage/management.html
>
> https://www.skarnet.org/software/skalibs/flags.html
>
>
> QUESTIONS TO PONDER:
>
> * Do Debian djb style apps respect slashpackage, and if so, do they
> all do it the same way in the same directories? If so, perhaps it's
> best for Devuan to do it the same way. If Debian djb style apps
> respect slashpackage but put its roots in all sorts of different
> places, Devuan should go its own way.
>
> * I've heard Debian's runit will work right out of the box. If this is
> true, this would be an incentive to use the same directories as the
> Debian runit package. However, there's a runit-systemd package that I
> don't think Devuan would be in a position to install.
>
> * How horrible would it be to have directories /command, /package and
> perhaps even /service? /command and /package are both pure
> slashpackage, and all three are available the instant the root
> partition is loaded.
>
> * The s6 upstream installer has a choice as to whether to go
> slashpackage, and if so, in which directories (if not the
> original /command and /package)? I'll need to examine that.
>
> I'll keep you up to date on all of this.
>
> SteveT
>
> Steve Litt
> June 2017 featured book: The Key to Everyday Excellence
> http://www.troubleshooters.com/key
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--
Joel Roth