Very Computer

Still setting up my linux system and now I'm branching out and getting
packages like PCMCIA, Netscape, isapnptools, and Samba. Is there a
directory that should be used when unzipping a file? I've been putting them
in /usr/src and then unzipping/untarring them from there with some very
interesting results. PCMCIA and isapnptools made their own directories
under /usr/src and then installed files in those directories. Netscape made
one or two directories under /usr/src, but it also dumped a bunch of files
in /usr/src. Samba made /usr/src/var, /usr/src/bin, and /usr/src/etc
directories. I figured it wanted to put them in the proper /bin, /var, and
/etc directories, but was sitting in the wrong directory to start with. Is
there a standard or suggested directory to unzip / untar from so the files
should be in some proper place. I understand the concept of 'it's MY OS and
I'll put files anywhere I want them to be', but for someone just starting
out a general rule would help.

Thanks.

Tom

But if you have some non-brand-name :) binary distribution,
it's best to unpack it in a separate, clean directory, then
manually put all the files in their proper places.

Alternatively, view the archive (tar -tzvf or unzip -l)
to see what it will do when extracted, and position
yourself apppropriately before extracting.

Quote:>Netscape made
>one or two directories under /usr/src, but it also dumped a bunch of files
>in /usr/src.

Quote:>I understand the concept of 'it's MY OS and
>I'll put files anywhere I want them to be', but for someone just starting
>out a general rule would help.

In my irregular opinion:
        /sbin   files needed for emergency/boot, only used by root
        /bin    other such files, useful to everyone
        /etc    system-wide config files, system scripts
        /lib    Really Important (tm) libraries.
        /usr/*  Same classifications not less critical stuff.
        /usr/local*     Hack packages.

I think the current setup is something of a mess. I want my system
to keep packages seaparated by name, version, and architecture.
This lets me 1) see what package a file belongs to 2) keep
multiple versions of a package on the system, 3) cleanly
destroy unwanted packages, and cleanly move packages from
system to system as tarball, and 4) install packages that
have conflicting files without one overwriting the other.

I have (almost) a complete, bootable, glibc-2 system that
is set up this way, where /usr is a pure symlink tree.

Eric

I recommend always doing a "tar tzvf" or "rpm -ql" before installing
new stuff and observe what is going to be installed where.  Often
the files use "absolute" file names (start with "/") and your only
choice is to do it "their" way or don't install it.  Some will
install xxx/*; some install *.  IIRC, the conventional place to
install "xxx" is under /usr/local/src .  I've made my own directory
under /usr/local to put such stuff so I know that what is in
/usr/local/src is stuff some tar file or weird RPM put there and
it was not put there by me "manually".

Apparently the Unix way of arranging files is, like Democracy, the
worst scheme there is, except all the others.   Most of the important
reasons for doing it this way are unneeded by us single-user,
stand-alone-computer-with-1-or-2-disks types.