Re: [AD] Data file directory

[Tim Bird <tbird@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Vincent PENQUERC'H wrote:
> 
> >by more than one account.  It would be best (IMHO) if games based on
> >Allegro
> >were packaged and followed the FHS or LSB standards for file placement
> >in
> 
> Could you please elaborate in a few words on what FHS and LSB are,
> besides being file placement standards, please ?

FHS = Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
This is a standard which has been developing over the last 4-5 years,
and which suggests conventions for where to place different types
of files on a Linux system.  The standard has not changed much
in the last 2 years, and almost all distributions are 95% or more
"FHS-compliant".  The reason for the standard is to make it easier
to put software onto a system from any Linux vendor, and be marginally
assured it will work, and that standard UNIX administration policies
are not defeated: like 1) /usr should be network-mountable read-only.
2) /var should not require backup and should be read-writable, etc. 

The FHS effort has given way to a larger standardization effort
called the Linux Standard Base (LSB) project.  This project is
wider in scope, incorporating standards for not only file placement,
but initialization sequence, library APIs, utility behaviour, and
system call APIs.  Also, there are (or will be) test suites to
validate compliance with the standard, and a reference implementation
of the standard. See http://www.linuxbase.org/ for details.
____________________________________________________________
Tim Bird                                  Lineo, Inc.
Chief Technology Officer                  383 South 520 West
tbird@xxxxxxxxxx                           Lindon, UT 84042