Re: File structure

["C.P.Briscoe-Smith" <cpbs@ukc.ac.uk>]

PS (Pre-Script): This is my first post here -- in fact anywhere, so
                 if I make any ghastly mistakes, please let me know!

>>The MiNT distribution kit sets up the following directory structure:
>>
>>	/etc			machine-biased files/programs
>>	/bin			'important' binaries
>
>How's about /bin -> /usr/bin

In the unix world, there are a few reasons for keeping /bin separate...

- Historical.  Doesn't apply to us!

- Safety.  You can keep /bin (and other stuff) on a separate partition
  from /usr/* so that if your /usr partition crashes/breaks down/is
  eaten by a wild gnu :-) or whatever, you can still boot up using the
  utils from /bin.

- Speed.  If just the most frequently used commands are in /bin, and
  /bin is the first place in the search path, they are found quickly,
  since it isn't necessary to search through hundreds of other
  commands.  Also, if /bin is on a faster device (eg a ramdisk) there's
  an extra speedup to be gained.

That said, the only unix systems I've used have had /bin linked to
/usr/bin...

>>BTW: I vote for MiNX as the name for the more-unix-alike system (if we
>>need one. I've found that undeffing anything to do with the ST is the easiest
>>way to get things to compile <grin>)

I vote for MiNX too!

--
Yours,
 /\       
 \/\/\/\___ 
Charles P. Briscoe-Smith
Vice-President in Charge of Illegible Signatures