Sam Ewalt wrote: > > Is it convention or necessity that puts programs in a "bin"?
Convention. Binaries normally go in /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin, /usr/sbin, /usr/local/bin, /usr/X11/bin, etc. Libraries normally go in /lib, /usr/lib, /usr/local/lib, /usr/X11/lib, etc. > Could a program be somewhere else if you want it? Sure. But if it's a binary that you use a lot, you may want to put it in your path. > DOS doesn't care where you put something and some of us cranky > old farts have anarchistic tendancies. It's your system -- put stuff where you want. However, that said, there are some advantages in following the normal Linux way of arranging things. > I realize it is probably preferable to follow convention, but on > a private, single user system would it make a differance if we > didn't? It depends on the file. Many executables expect their configuration files to be in a particular directory (although this can often be changed with a parameter). If you are putting a library or a module in an unusual directory, you will need to tell the system where to find it. And so on. You can be unconventional if you wish, but you will be making more work for yourself. Cheers, Steven
