Very Computer

I'll be soon moving from 4.1.3 to Solaris 2.x and I'm debating
on how to use the new /opt directory that Solaris has defined.
What I'd like to do is treat this as a direct replacement for
/usr/local, and have /opt/bin instead of /usr/local/bin, /opt/etc
instead of /usr/local/etc, and so on. Is this the intent of /opt
or should I still have a /usr/local or maybe a /opt/local?
--

Acadia Univ., Wolfville, NS, Canada B0P 1X0  902-542-2201  Fax: 902-542-4364

: I'll be soon moving from 4.1.3 to Solaris 2.x and I'm debating
: on how to use the new /opt directory that Solaris has defined.
: What I'd like to do is treat this as a direct replacement for
: /usr/local, and have /opt/bin instead of /usr/local/bin, /opt/etc
: instead of /usr/local/etc, and so on. Is this the intent of /opt
: or should I still have a /usr/local or maybe a /opt/local?

The point of /opt is for mounting SVR4 software packages, the rationale
being that the OS provides tools for installing and removing modular
packages and allowing easy vetting of just what's on the system.
For software that doesn't (yet) come in packages, you have to do something
different, and it's good to have a strategy in advance, principally so that
when you configure the disk there'll be lots of spare room for future s/w.
As anything you get from Sun (like answerbooks, unbundled freebies like
Wabi and SearchIt) will go in opt, I figured I'd put *everything* new in
the /opt filesystem and leave it lots of space rather than configure a
monster size /usr, and created /opt/local for non-packaged software.  Any
further subdivisions will depend on what you actually put in: mine has
subdirectories for visilog and vni, and they set up their own trees
underneath.  Seems to have worked so far...

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch                            University of Dundee
phone 44 382 60111 x 2050               Department of Medical Physics
fax   44 382 632970                     Ninewells Hospital

i would make /opt be an automount point. that way i can place packages
anywhere and just update the map. is anyone doing this? does it seem
correct to you?