[Blend-fluxbox-devel] configuration of /etc and /home/user directories

[Jonas Smedegaard]

Quoting Stephan Foley (2016-01-12 10:45:21)
> Thanks Jonas, this is making a lot more sense to me. I've seen the 
> same thing with apache. Also this is how apt handles third party 
> source lists.
>
> I'm pretty sure lightdm allows this, but, the configuration files in 
> fluxbox and bbpager don't allow additional configuration using a 
> modular plugin system...at least not that I'm aware of.
>
> That's why I think we should first populate a /etc/skel file. In this 
> case, my thinking is the install will be like this:
>
> - install xorg, lightdm, fluxbox, bbpager
>
> - create user and copy /etc/skel into home dir

That final "...and copy /etc/skel..." is the problem: It is done 
automagically when you create a new user account (when done the Debian 
way using "adduser" command), but is *bad* to do on any existing 
account: How to ensure not overwriting something precious to the user?

  * $HOME is owned by each user.
  * /usr/local is owned by admins.
  * /var/lib/* is owned by each Debian package.
  * /usr is owned by Debian,
  * /etc is co-owned by admins and Debian.

It is sensible as user to compose a desktop setup in $HOME.

It is *not* sensible for admins to rely on $HOME for setting up a 
multi-user system - use /usr/local and/or /etc for that.

It is *not* sensible (nor permitted) for Debian packages to put things 
in /usr/local or $HOME.

So where do blends fit into above?  Well, that depends... A Debian 
_pure_ blend is all integrated into Debian, which means all is in 
packages.  But packaging can be complex, especially juggling config 
tricks across multiple packages and multiple conflicting setup needs, so 
I recommend first do a non-pure blend where we can cheat and do things 
not permitted into Debian - and then when we have something working from 
admin POV we can look at how that can be integrated in Debian itself:

 1) hack things together as single user
 2) setup a system as admin workable for multiple users
 3) integrate system setup as package choices and/or new packages.

We are (barely) at 1) by now :-)


 - Jonas

-- 
 * Jonas Smedegaard - idealist & Internet-arkitekt
 * Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

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