On Sat, Nov 15, 2003 at 02:01:42PM -0800, Wm.G.McGrath wrote: > > Hi, > > Is there any way I can reset the directory/partition that apt uses > to install software? I believe it currently install packages under > /usr... and /var.... > > The history of *nix is very diverse and reflected in the (needless?) > complexity of its directory structure. /usr is very large and used > for many purposes, and I'd like to move a little beyond it's current > default - at least for my own system. > > I'd like to be able to set up a separate partition/directory to > contain all the software that I install using apt for security, > backup and upgrade purposes. The advantage of this would be similar > to using a separate partition/directory for /home, /opt or > /usr/local. > > Thus, for example, I'll be able to upgrade my base system without > affecting my packages and upgrade them later, one at a time, at > my leisure if I wish. (Yes I know there are other ways of doing > this.) > > A separate partition could also provide advantages for backup and > security, but what I'm really interested in is in keeping things > well organized and neat. I'd like to create a partition something > like /apt with subdirectories like /apt/bin, /apt/opt, > /apt/usr/local, etc. It might even be nice to put each app/utiltity > in its own directory? :) > > Anyway, does anyone have any thoughts on this? Does apt rely on any > environment variables for example? >
I don't know the answer to your question, but: The thing that really sold me on switching from RH to Debian was a document called File Heirarchy Standard. FHS sets out in great detail exactly where every type of file should be placed on a Debian machine, and why. You should really read and understand that document before you start re-inventing the wheel. A lot of thinking, discussion, and argument went into producing FHS. I suppose that it could be improved upon, but you really need to be intimately familiar with it, if you are going to have a chance of success. There are all sorts of considerations that get ignored in a first pass design. Educate yourself before you launch into shuffling things around. Off hand, I suppose that it would be nearly impossible to write a tool that takes a set of install scripts from a Debian package and transforms them into scripts that would work correctly with some other file placement standard. Just my $.02. -- Paul E Condon [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
