Re: /usr/local/bin vs /usr/local/sbin

Darrin Chandler wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 03, 2006 at 01:03:36PM -0700, Kurt Granroth wrote:
>
>>Jay wrote:
>>
>>>On Sun, 3 Sep 2006, Eric "Shubes" wrote:
>>>
>>>>What's the 's' supposed to stand for? System (as in OS)?
>>>>Where should application scripts go by convention? Somewhere
>>>>referenced by $PATH I'm imagining. /usr/local/bin?
>>>
>>>Um, good guesses on the 'security' and 'system' fronts, but
>>>traditionally (think old UNIX conventions here), the 's' in sbin stands
>>>for 'static'. It is intended as the place for static-compiled binaries
>>>(as opposed to dynamic-compiled binaries). Static binaries would also be
>>>best for functions like booting and system recovery, since during those
>>>tasks libraries and linkers may not be available/functioning.
>>
>>Traditionally, yes, but that has to be an outdated convention by now. A
>>quick look at the binaries in /sbin on a typical Linux system shows that
>>very very few are static anymore.
>>
>>I tend to think off it like so:
>>
>>/sbin -> Utilities dealing with low level systems like file systems,
>>networks, modules, etc. All typically run only for root.
>>
>>/usr/sbin -> System daemons like cupsd, mysqld, imapd, smbd, and so and
>>so forth. Also contains other root-only utilities that aren't as low level.
>
>
> Traditionally, and still in spirit. Nothing in /bin and /sbin should
> depend on /usr being mounted. If it does, then it's broken, IMHO.
>

Solaris is broken (by this definition). Solaris will not boot if /usr
is unavailable. A certain bank here in town found that out the hard
way. The I found it out also when I decided to move the /usr partition.
Yup, box no boot with no /usr. Solaris 8, btw.

George Toft, CISSP, MSIS
My IT Department
www.myITaz.com
480-544-1067

Confidential data protection experts for the financial industry.

---------------------------------------------------
PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us
To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings:
http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss