> Date: Thu, 2 May 1996 14:20:52 +0100
> From: Matthew J Brown <mjb@sophos.com>
> To: Dan Merillat <harik@ao.net>
> Cc: Linux Kernel List <linux-kernel@vger.rutgers.edu>
> Subject: Re: Cleaning up the config files in /etc (Re: As 2.0 looms) (fwd)
>
> Dan Merillat writes:
> > How weird. In effect, /etc IS /etc/conf.d.... :)
> >
> > No. BUT: pid files should get the hell out of /etc, /etc/mtab should go
> > to /var/run, anything dynamic out. Subdirs for different systems
> > (networking, mail, whadevva)
>
> /etc/mtab should not exist (save as a symlink to /proc/mounts).
> /proc/mounts should be updated so it contains all the information
> /etc/mtab contains.
>
> There should be no need for /etc/mtab, because it contains no info the
> kernel doesn't already have.
Also very true.
> /etc/mtab is also a special case because it *can't* move to /var.
> Why? because /var could be a seperate partition!
Why not? What difference does that make? It _HAS_ to move, because it
is a changing file, and all changing files have to be out of /etc.
/var is the place for any file that will be modified at runtime. Logs,
PIDS, whatever. /, /etc/ and /usr/ are supposed to be able to be mounted
read-only. And, on my system, that's my goal. I want to get my system
up to the point where I can leave those mounted read-only and not have
any dire concequences.
--Dan