Re: default searchpaths on *BSD machines?

[Harlan Stenn]

Miles wrote:
> 
> Hmm, OK, so in that case, does anybody know what typical practice for
> FreeBSD users is (so I can be sure to cater to it)?  They must
> encounter this issue all the time.
> 
> Do they usually just specify CFLAGS/CPPFLAGS/LDFLAGS on the configure
> command line [maybe via a local config.site file as mentioned]?

It's never been an issue for me, and I've been using FreeBSD for a very
long time.  I have /usr/local/bin and /usr/local/sbin in my PATH, and
when I run "configure" my builds just work.

Just like anything else, it's up to the installer to put things where
they are supposed to go, and it's up to the local admins to tell folks
what the default PATHs should be for things to work as expected.

In my experience whenever I try and be "too smart" or fix problems I
think other folks *might* have, I end up causing problems, not solving
potential ones.

Put another way, I look for my packages to have sufficient "mechanism"
to allow the local installers/users to implement their "policy" choices,
and I do my best to avoid forcing my policy choices on them (ie, I
choose the "normal" policy choices and give folks a way to override
them).

H