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Full Discussion: Clueless re Java: /opt vs. /usr/local
Operating Systems Linux Fedora Clueless re Java: /opt vs. /usr/local Post 302879786 by bakunin on Sunday 15th of December 2013 10:16:04 AM
Old 12-15-2013
The debate about "/opt" versus "/usr/local" boils down to the following:

In Unix the layout of the filesystem is more or less fixed. Every file, executable or not, should have its designated place where it has to go. This only as an afore.

The Linux initiative came up with an attempt to further codify this already long-used "best practice" and published the "Filesystem Hierarchy Standard".

I won't comment on the other parts of the document, just the part dealing with "/usr/local" and "/opt":

"/opt" is where all application should go. For every application there should be a subdirectory with its name (and optionally manufacturer) and in that a directory with its version. The "foo" application of the "bar" company in version 1.23 would go to "/opt/bar/foo/1.23", for instance. The executables for this software should be in "/opt/bar/foo/1.23/bin" with optional links to "/opt/bin" to avoid a convoluted PATH.

"/usr/local" is the place for all the OS extensions the administrator wants to have at this particular system. As "/usr" (short for "Unix Software Resources") is under the sole discretion of the OS provider this is the only place that should be modifyable by the SysAdmin. Still, this should be limited to OS-relevant utilities, not for applications in their own right. You might place a third-party "ssh"-client there or "gzip", but not, for instance, "MySQL".

Having said that: if you put java into "/usr/local" or into "/opt" is a question of if you see it as an application in its own right or merely a system tool. There is no "correct" answer to that, just your sensible decision about what best describes its usage on your system.

I hope this helps.

bakunin
 

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LEARN ABOUT OSF1

stl_mi

stl_mi(4)						     Kernel Interfaces Manual							 stl_mi(4)

NAME

       stl_mi - Software distribution master inventory files

DESCRIPTION

       Each software product that is distributed as subsets for the setld(8) command has an associated master inventory file. The master inventory
       file's name consists of the product's unique 3-letter name and a 3-digit version number with the string .mi for a suffix. The master inven-
       tory file is used by the software kitting program kits(1) in producing software distribution packages.

       A  master  inventory  file  contains one ASCII record, describing vendor-specified attribute information, for each file in the product kit.
       Each record is composed of three fields which must be separated by TAB characters. The fields are: A 16-bit unsigned integer.

	      Bit 1 is the v (volatility) bit; when it is set, changes to the existing copy of the file can occur during kit installation.  It	is
	      usually  set for log files required by applications. The remaining bits are reserved. Possible values for this field are therefore 0
	      or 2.  The dot-relative (./) pathname of the file described by this record.  Each pathname must  appear  only  once  in  the  master
	      inventory file.  Pathnames must begin with a period (.). Records must be sorted in ascending ASCII sequence on this field.  The name
	      of the subset containing the file. Standard system directories are not included in subsets; they	are  represented  by  the  keyword
	      RESERVED	in  place of a subset name. Files that exist in the product hierarchy but are not distributed as part of any subset have a
	      minus sign (-) in this field. Files that share a gnode (links) must all be included in the same subset.

EXAMPLES

       This example shows a section of the master inventory for  a  hypothetical  layered  product  kit:  0	.	 RESERVED  0	 ./usr/opt
       RESERVED  0     ./usr/opt/OAT100       OATDCB100  0     ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin   OATDCB100  0     ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/attr      OATDCB100  0
       ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/dcb.spr   OATDCB100  0     ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/dcb_defaults      OATDCB100   0	 ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/dcb_diag.sed
       OATDCB100  0    ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/docbld   OATDCB100 0    ./usr/opt/OAT100/bin/unstamp  OATDCB100 0	 ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib  OATDCB100 0
       ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br	      OATDCB100   0	 ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/README.dcb	 OATDCB100   0	    ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/attr.1
       OATDCBDOC100   0      ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/dcb.ps	     OATDCBDOC100   0	   ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/docbld.1	   OATDCBDOC100  0
       ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/docbld.5      OATDCBDOC100 0    ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/br/unstamp.1     OATDCBDOC100 0    ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/doclib
       OATDCB100  0	./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/doclib/templates  OATDCB100  0	./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/doclib/templates/conv.braces     OATDCB100  0
       ./usr/opt/OAT100/lib/doclib/templates/conv.command   OATDCB100 .  .  .

RELATED INFORMATION

       invcutter(1), kits(1), newinv(1), setld(8) Guide to Preparing Product Kits delim off

																	 stl_mi(4)
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