[gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Rafael Fernández López]

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Hi,

	Since I have started a project that needs to be redistributed (it'll be GPL) 
I've started to deeply read Autoconf and Automake manuals.

	Well, I had read some of FHS too, to know what I should do and what I should 
not do with my file hierarchy.

	But, what came to my mind (maybe it's possible today) is that we could make a 
new "file system" subtree in every ~. For example, a user will be able to do 
a "./configure ; make" but if the system is well-administrated a user won't 
be able to run a "make install", since it can cause problems to the system. 
(I know we, Gentoo users, don't care about that). But what I wanted to say is 
that if we are not root (typical case) we could do a "./configure ; make ; 
make install" (in an app called 'whatever') and it could create for example 
"/home/me/bin/whatever" and "/home/me/share/doc/whatever" or 
"/home/me/doc/whatever", and so on.

	That would be great since a normal user won't infect any root filesystem, and 
an administrator can fix any tricky problem deleting "/home/me".

Bye and thanks !,
Rafael Fernández López.

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Zac Slade]

On Saturday 18 February 2006 09:52, Rafael Fernández López wrote:
> "./configure ; make ; make install" (in an app called 'whatever') and it
> could create for example "/home/me/bin/whatever" and
> "/home/me/share/doc/whatever" or
> "/home/me/doc/whatever", and so on.
This is what --prefix is for.
./configure --prefix=~/
make && make install
This puts it into /home/user/ where /home/user is considered to be /
-- 
Zac Slade

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Rafael Fernández López]

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El Sábado, 18 de Febrero de 2006 16:44, Zac Slade escribió:
> On Saturday 18 February 2006 09:52, Rafael Fernández López wrote:
> > "./configure ; make ; make install" (in an app called 'whatever') and it
> > could create for example "/home/me/bin/whatever" and
> > "/home/me/share/doc/whatever" or
> > "/home/me/doc/whatever", and so on.
>
> This is what --prefix is for.
> ./configure --prefix=~/
> make && make install
> This puts it into /home/user/ where /home/user is considered to be /
> --
> Zac Slade

	What I meant is that it could be selected as default option. My idea is to 
make easier new users to install apps that don't have, and that would like 
to, without having to read man configure.

Thx,
Rafael Fernández López.

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Zac Slade]

On Saturday 18 February 2006 10:16, Rafael Fernández López wrote:
> > This is what --prefix is for.
> > ./configure --prefix=~/
> > make && make install
> > This puts it into /home/user/ where /home/user is considered to be /

> 	What I meant is that it could be selected as default option. My idea is to
> make easier new users to install apps that don't have, and that would like
> to, without having to read man configure.
This is the pneumonic load of *nix.  Installing software is non-trivial.  We 
make it much easier in gentoo with emerge, just as autoconf/automake made it 
much simpiler in the past.  If a user is going to compile and install 
software in their home directory they are going to have to at least learn 
--prefix as an option to configure.  Fortunately/unfortunately this is a 
requirement.  Just as learning to use ls to list files in a directory.
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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Rafael Bugajewski]

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18. Februar 2006 17:16, Rafael Fernández López:

> What I meant is that it could be selected as default option. My
> idea is to make easier new users to install apps that don't have, and that
> would like to, without having to read man configure.

New users usually do not install apps that their distro does not provide. 
Almost every distribution has a package system with a GUI. It is also better 
to install not provided applications into /usr/local/ because it is usually 
in the path environment variable, so applications can run without the whole 
path prefix (imagine new users with the following question: Where is my newly 
installed application?).

I do understand you now, but I don't think it's a useful behaviour. You could 
simply add a alias e.g. configure (./configure --prefix=~) and it would do 
the thing you want. It would be also easier for a new user because he 
wouldn't be bothered by ./

Greets,

Rafael Bugajewski

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Devon Miller]

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Hi,

It is  possible today. When testing a new application, I will often install
it in my own account. What  you're looking for is the "--prefix" argument to
"./configure". For example, "./configure --prefix=$HOME" will install the
app in question into ~/bin, ~/lib, ~/share, etc.

dcm

On 2/18/06, Rafael Fernández López <info@maestroprogramador.com> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
>         Since I have started a project that needs to be redistributed
> (it'll be GPL)
> I've started to deeply read Autoconf and Automake manuals.
>
>         Well, I had read some of FHS too, to know what I should do and
> what I should
> not do with my file hierarchy.
>
>         But, what came to my mind (maybe it's possible today) is that we
> could make a
> new "file system" subtree in every ~. For example, a user will be able to
> do
> a "./configure ; make" but if the system is well-administrated a user
> won't
> be able to run a "make install", since it can cause problems to the
> system.
> (I know we, Gentoo users, don't care about that). But what I wanted to say
> is
> that if we are not root (typical case) we could do a "./configure ; make ;
> make install" (in an app called 'whatever') and it could create for
> example
> "/home/me/bin/whatever" and "/home/me/share/doc/whatever" or
> "/home/me/doc/whatever", and so on.
>
>         That would be great since a normal user won't infect any root
> filesystem, and
> an administrator can fix any tricky problem deleting "/home/me".
>
> Bye and thanks !,
> Rafael Fernández López.
>
>
>

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Rafael Bugajewski]

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Am Samstag, 18. Februar 2006 16:52 Rafael Fernández López wrote:

> [...]
> But, what came to my mind (maybe it's possible today) is that we could make
> a new "file system" subtree in every ~.
> [...]

Hi,

how do you want to realize it? For what should it be good? I think there is a 
Portage variable which lets you define the destination directory of a 
install. I think I didn't understand you, sorry. Could you explain it more 
concrete please?

Greets,

Rafael Bugajewski

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Rafael Fernández López]

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	Is [OT] marked because it has nothing to do with Gentoo. I mean when no 
ebuild is provided, someone is a new user (doesn't know what --prefix is), 
and by default with one shot "./configure ; make ; make install" it could be 
installed in home.

Bye,
Rafael Fernández López.

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[Zac Slade]

On Saturday 18 February 2006 10:20, Rafael Fernández López wrote:
> 	Is [OT] marked because it has nothing to do with Gentoo. I mean when no
> ebuild is provided, someone is a new user (doesn't know what --prefix is),
> and by default with one shot "./configure ; make ; make install" it could
> be installed in home.
If this is what you want then the user must be in the portage group.  Now that 
user may be able to install software in / due to a lack of knowledge of the 
system.  However they can do ROOT=/home/user emerge program and that will 
install it into their home directory.  However if they have the power to do 
this, they have the power to accidentally install into /.  Pick your poison 
here.
-- 
Zac Slade

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Re: [gentoo-user] [OT] What about a new file system subtree?

[David Mallwitz]

On Feb 18, 2006, at 10:52 AM, Rafael Fernández López wrote:

> Hi,
>
> 	Since I have started a project that needs to be redistributed  
> (it'll be GPL)
> I've started to deeply read Autoconf and Automake manuals.
>
> 	Well, I had read some of FHS too, to know what I should do and  
> what I should
> not do with my file hierarchy.
>
> 	But, what came to my mind (maybe it's possible today) is that we  
> could make a
> new "file system" subtree in every ~. For example, a user will be  
> able to do
> a "./configure ; make" but if the system is well-administrated a  
> user won't
> be able to run a "make install", since it can cause problems to the  
> system.
> (I know we, Gentoo users, don't care about that). But what I wanted  
> to say is
> that if we are not root (typical case) we could do a "./configure ;  
> make ;
> make install" (in an app called 'whatever') and it could create for  
> example
> "/home/me/bin/whatever" and "/home/me/share/doc/whatever" or
> "/home/me/doc/whatever", and so on.
>
> 	That would be great since a normal user won't infect any root  
> filesystem, and
> an administrator can fix any tricky problem deleting "/home/me".
>
> Bye and thanks !,
> Rafael Fernández López.

	You might want to check out Gobolinux, it's an unusual distro that  
make the breaks the FHS by making the file system into a version  
control system for installed packages. Gobolinux has a "rootless"  
option that lets an unprivileged user install software into their  
home directory using their package system. It can work in conjunction  
with any other distro, Gentoo included.
http://www.gobolinux.org/?page=rootless

Dave
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