$prefix != /usr/local

$prefix != /usr/local

[DJ Delorie]

The default $prefix (/usr/local) is discouraged for GNU/Linux [1].
Which means pretty much every glibc build *must* use a --prefix=
command, and typically --prefix=/usr, despite the potential danger
thereof.

Why can't we make that the default?  I'm kinda tired of typing that
over and over...


[1] It's allowed for Hurd, but maybe that's just because nobody has
    realized it's also bad there?

Re: $prefix != /usr/local

[Samuel Thibault]

DJ Delorie via Libc-alpha, le mar. 29 mars 2022 00:49:59 -0400, a ecrit:
> The default $prefix (/usr/local) is discouraged for GNU/Linux [1].
> 
> [1] It's allowed for Hurd, but maybe that's just because nobody has
>     realized it's also bad there?

I don't think anybody took the time to have a look at it.

For GNU/Hurd the default prefix should actually be / (there is no /usr
in the GNU system)

Samuel

Re: $prefix != /usr/local

[Carlos O'Donell]

On 3/29/22 03:10, Samuel Thibault wrote:
> DJ Delorie via Libc-alpha, le mar. 29 mars 2022 00:49:59 -0400, a ecrit:
>> The default $prefix (/usr/local) is discouraged for GNU/Linux [1].
>>
>> [1] It's allowed for Hurd, but maybe that's just because nobody has
>>     realized it's also bad there?
> 
> I don't think anybody took the time to have a look at it.
> 
> For GNU/Hurd the default prefix should actually be / (there is no /usr
> in the GNU system)
LGTM.

I have a few requirements:

(1) Switch the default prefix to /usr

(2) Disallow bare 'make install'

(3) Only allow 'make install DESTDIR=[path]'

(4) Disallow DESTDIR=/

This allows a new user to just do:
	configure
	make
	make check
in a loop for testing without issues.
When they go to do 'make install' it will fail and they will have to provide a non-/
install directory *as is expected* to avoid trashing their system.

Nobody should be doing bare 'make install' since it has a high probability of failing
because make runs new subprocesses that could get mixed ld/libc versions.


-- 
Cheers,
Carlos.

[1] https://sourceware.org/glibc/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_install_all_of_the_GNU_C_Library_project_libraries_that_I_just_built.3F