network file systems, hence
applications should not assume the
full set of file API is available on
- this directory.</para></listitem>
+ this directory. Applications should
+ generally not reference this directory
+ directly, but via the per-user
+ <varname>$HOME</varname> environment
+ variable, or via the home directory
+ field of the user
+ database.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
usually mounted as
<literal>tmpfs</literal> instance, and
should hence not be used for larger
- files. Since the directory is
+ files. (Use
+ <filename>/var/tmp</filename> for
+ larger files.) Since the directory is
accessible to other users of the
system it is essential that this
directory is only written to with the
usually flushed at boot-up. Also,
files that are not accessed within a
certain time are usually automatically
- deleted.</para></listitem>
+ deleted. If applications find the
+ environment variable
+ <varname>$TMP</varname> set they
+ should prefer using the directory
+ specified in it over directly
+ referencing
+ <filename>/tmp</filename>.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
</variablelist>
<varlistentry>
<term><filename>/usr/lib</filename></term>
- <listitem><para>System libraries and
- package-specific
- data.</para></listitem>
- </varlistentry>
-
- <varlistentry>
- <term><filename>/usr/lib64</filename></term>
- <listitem><para>Secondary library
- directory for placing 64bit versions
- of system libraries in, if the primary
- architecture of the system is
- 32bit. This directory should not be
- used for package-specific data, unless
- this data requires 64bit-specific
- versions, too.</para></listitem>
+ <listitem><para>Static vendor data
+ that is compatible with all
+ architectures (though not necessarily
+ architecture-independent). Note that
+ this includes internal
+ executables or other binaries that are
+ not regularly invoked from a
+ shell. Such binaries may be for any
+ architecture supported by the
+ system. Do not place public libraries
+ in this directory, use
+ <varname>$libdir</varname> (see
+ below), instead.</para></listitem>
+ </varlistentry>
+
+ <varlistentry>
+ <term><varname>$libdir</varname></term>
+ <listitem><para>Location for placing
+ dynamic libraries in. The precise
+ location depends on the operating
+ system and the architecture, and is
+ sometimes
+ <filename>/usr/lib</filename>,
+ <filename>/use/lib64</filename> or
+ <filename>/usr/lib/</filename>
+ suffixed by an architecture
+ identifier. This directory should not
+ be used for package-specific data,
+ unless this data is
+ architecture-dependent,
+ too.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
betwen multiple packages, such as
documentation, man pages, time zone
information, fonts and other
- resources.</para></listitem>
+ resources. Usually, the precise
+ location and format of files stored
+ below this directory is subject to
+ specifications that ensure
+ interoperability.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
contrast to <filename>/tmp</filename>
this directory is usually mounted from
a persistent physical file system and
- can thus accept larger files. This
- directory is generally not flushed at
- boot-up, but time-based cleanup of
- files that have not been accessed for
- a certain time is applied. The same
- security restrictions as with
+ can thus accept larger files. (Use
+ <filename>/tmp</filename> for smaller
+ files.) This directory is generally
+ not flushed at boot-up, but time-based
+ cleanup of files that have not been
+ accessed for a certain time is
+ applied. The same security
+ restrictions as with
<filename>/tmp</filename> apply, and
hence only
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>mkstemp</refentrytitle><manvolnum>3</manvolnum></citerefentry>,
<citerefentry><refentrytitle>mkdtemp</refentrytitle><manvolnum>3</manvolnum></citerefentry>
or similar calls should be used to
- make use of this directory.
+ make use of this directory. If
+ applications find the environment
+ variable <varname>$TMP</varname> set
+ they should prefer using the directory
+ specified in it over directly
+ referencing
+ <filename>/var/tmp</filename>.
</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<listitem><para>This compatibility
symlink points to
<filename>/usr/lib</filename>,
- ensuring that binaries referencing
+ ensuring that programs referencing
this legacy path correctly find
- their libraries.</para></listitem>
+ their resources.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<term><filename>/lib64</filename></term>
- <listitem><para>This compatibility
- symlink points to
- <filename>/usr/lib64</filename>,
+ <listitem><para>On some architecture
+ ABIs this compatibility symlink points
+ to <varname>$libdir</varname>,
ensuring that binaries referencing
this legacy path correctly find their
- libraries. This symlink only exists on
- architectures whose ABI requires a
- 64bit version of the library
- directory.</para></listitem>
+ dynamic loader. This symlink only
+ exists on architectures whose ABI
+ places the dynamic loader in this
+ path.</para></listitem>
</varlistentry>
<varlistentry>
<tbody>
<row>
<entry><filename>/usr/bin</filename></entry>
- <entry>Package executables that shall appear in the <varname>$PATH</varname> executable search path. It is not recommended to place internal binaries or binaries that are not commonly invoked from the shell in this directory, such as daemon binaries. As this directory is shared with most other packages of the system special care should be take to pick unique names for files placed here, that are unlikely to clash with other package's files.</entry>
+ <entry>Package executables that shall appear in the <varname>$PATH</varname> executable search path, compiled for the primary architecture of the operating system. It is not recommended to place internal binaries or binaries that are not commonly invoked from the shell in this directory, such as daemon binaries. As this directory is shared with most other packages of the system special care should be take to pick unique names for files placed here, that are unlikely to clash with other package's files.</entry>
</row>
<row>
- <entry><filename>/usr/lib</filename></entry>
- <entry>Public shared libraries of the package, compiled for the primary architecture of the operating system. As above, be careful with using too generic names, and pick unique names for your libraries to place here to avoid name clashes.</entry>
+ <entry><filename>$libdir</filename></entry>
+ <entry>Public shared libraries of the package. As above, be careful with using too generic names, and pick unique names for your libraries to place here to avoid name clashes.</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry><filename>/usr/lib/<replaceable>package</replaceable></filename></entry>
- <entry>Private other vendor resources of the package, including private binaries and libraries, but also including any other kind of read-only vendor data.</entry>
- </row>
- <row>
- <entry><filename>/usr/lib64</filename></entry>
- <entry>Public shared libraries of the package, compiled for the secondary, 64bit architecture, if this is part of the Operating System ABI.</entry>
+ <entry>Private static vendor resources of the package, including private binaries and libraries, or any other kind of read-only vendor data.</entry>
</row>
<row>
- <entry><filename>/usr/lib64/<replaceable>package</replaceable></filename></entry>
- <entry>Private other vendor resources of the package that are architecture-specific and cannot be shared between primary and secondary architectures. Note that this generally does not include private binaries since binaries of the primary architecture may generally be invoked from secondary architecture code just fine.</entry>
+ <entry><filename>$libdir/<replaceable>package</replaceable></filename></entry>
+ <entry>Private other vendor resources of the package that are architecture-specific and cannot be shared between architectures. Note that this generally does not include private exectuables since binaries of a specific architecture may be freely invoked from any other supported system architecture.</entry>
</row>
<row>
<entry><filename>/usr/include/<replaceable>package</replaceable></filename></entry>
~ianmdlvl / elogind.git / blobdiff