Re: [Nmh-workers] fmttest program - where to install it?

[Ken Hornstein]

>Note that hier(7) makes no mention of libexec. libexec is an invention
>of the FSF and their standards document.

Not true; I see libexec mentioned in hier(7) on MacOS X, NetBSD, and
FreeBSD.  My personal memory is that it's been around for a while
on NetBSD at least.  A quick Googling suggests that it's actually
comes from the BSD world (although the FHS people don't like it).

>Debian policy is not to use
>it. Most Linux distributions simply follow whatever the source code
>build system does by default. You won't find libexec on Solaris, Irix etc
>other than perhaps where stuff has been built from source. libexec has
>always struck me as somewhat pointless: lib is there for all architecture
>dependent files, not just libraries and a top-level libexec directory
>gives the programs a lot of prominence.

I understand where you're coming from, but I have to admit that I side
with the people who think only libraries should live in $(libdir).  But
I recognize this is a change from the way nmh used to behave, so that's
why I'm asking about it.  I understand about Solaris, but again, it's
easy to change with configure.  As for Irix ... well, that's not even
a thing anymore, is it? :-/

>All you'd achieve with a change is creating unnecessary extra work
>for packagers.

It's easily changed in configure; do the default rpmbuild rules for
Debian set $(libexec) to $(libdir)?  If so, then it should work fine
without any changes from us.

I will note that this discussion is sort of a microcosm of all nmh
development; a seemingly minor change results in a whole lot of messy
discussions of real-world problems with no obviously answers :-/

--Ken