Alexandre Rostovtsev posted on Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:10:38 -0500 as excerpted:
> On Thu, 2012-12-20 at 18:27 +0100, Ulrich Mueller wrote: >> The FHS says: >> >> /var/cache is intended for cached data from applications. Such data >> is locally generated as a result of time-consuming I/O or >> calculation. The application must be able to regenerate or restore >> the data. >> >> Now I wonder: After removal of e.g. the Portage tree from a system, it >> is generally not possible to restore it. (It can be refetched, but not >> to its previous state.) >> >> Same is true for distfiles > But I think that the main portage and overlay checkouts are already > cache-like in the sense that any manual user changes are automatically > overwritten by "emerge --sync" / "layman -S", which the users are > supposed to run on a sufficiently regular basis. So /var/cache does seem > like a reasonable place for them. I'd been wondering about the point others have made about "locally generated", vs "Internet downloaded". However, upon rereading the above FHS quote, it hit me -- "from applications... locally generated... as a result of time-consuming I/O" is actually pretty explicit. I believe the emphasis has been on "locally generated", and the point that it explicitly includes "as a result of time-consuming I/O" in the definition of "locally generated" has been missed entirely. I know I missed it. But, if internet downloads triggered by running a local app don't qualify as "generated as a result of time-consuming I/O", what other I/O-basis generated files DO qualify as cache? That seems to pretty explicitly include Internet downloads in the definition, to me! -- Duncan - List replies preferred. No HTML msgs. "Every nonfree program has a lord, a master -- and if you use the program, he is your master." Richard Stallman
