Re: How to specify /var/lib in autoconf?

[John Calcote]

Hi David,

On 4/22/2009 11:52 AM, David Bruce wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm about to start modifying my program (Tux Typing) so as to allow
> creation of custom word lists.  The gist is that I need to have
> modifiable files that are visible to all users.  I have been told by
> knowledgable people that the appropriate location for these files
> would be /var/lib/tuxtype, similar to where databases place their
> files. (I presume /var/lib/tuxtype is correct if prefix is /usr, but
> it would be /var/local/tuxtype with the default prefix /usr/local?).
>
> Anyway, how do I specify this in an autotools-based program?  The
> closest predefined variable seems to be "localstatedir", but the
> autoconf manual says it is "$prefix/var."  My Debian system doesn't
> have either "/usr/var" or "/usr/local/var".  Any suggestions?
>
>    
1. Where to put your program-updated data files. Refer to Chapter 5 of 
the file system hierarchy standard (latest version is 2.3). I think 
you're friends are probably right on the money with where your files 
should go:

http://www.pathname.com/fhs

2. As far as /usr/var vs. /var, well that's another story. And I don't 
know the history behind it, but it's got to be ugly. :-) The FHS 
document alludes to there being a link between /usr/var and /var on 
systems where /var is on the same partition as /usr. The same applies to 
/usr/local/var and /var/local. However, that's as far as I can get in 
digging around about it. Perhaps one of the old-timers on the list knows 
more of the history.

The localstatedir variable is indeed the root of your package's state 
information from an Autotools perspective. Often system packagers for 
Linux distros will set localstatedir directly to /var on the configure 
command line when building an APT or RPM package. This fixes the issues 
about where stuff should go during make install.

John