Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!decwrl!sgi!shinobu!odin!bananaPC.wpd.sgi.com!ciemo
From: ciemo@bananaPC.wpd.sgi.com (Dave Ciemiewicz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Re: Linking /tmp to /usr/tmp
Message-ID: <11369@odin.corp.sgi.com>
Date: 3 Aug 90 17:08:39 GMT
References: <9008031155.AA02414@aero4.larc.nasa.gov>
Sender: news@odin.corp.sgi.com
Reply-To: ciemo@bananaPC.wpd.sgi.com (Dave Ciemiewicz)
Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc.
Lines: 33

In article <9008031155.AA02414@aero4.larc.nasa.gov>,
blbates@AERO4.LARC.NASA.GOV ("Brent L. Bates AAD/TAB MS361 x42854") writes:
> 
>    Didn't you have a X window socket in your /tmp?  That is why we
> could remove /tmp.  I also figured that is one of the reasons why
> the hotline said we couldn't (shouldn't) remove /tmp and replace it
> with a link to /usr/tmp.  Can any one give me any GOOD reasons why
> we shouldn't remove /tmp and replace it with a link?
> --
> 
> 	Brent L. Bates
> 	NASA-Langley Research Center
> 	M.S. 361
> 	Hampton, Virginia  23665-5225
> 	(804) 864-2854
> 	E-mail: blbates@aero4.larc.nasa.gov or blbates@aero2.larc.nasa.gov

Two reasons I can think of:

1) files in /tmp are automagically removed when cranking up the ol' IRIS.
Linking /tmp to /usr/tmp will remove files in /usr/tmp during a reboot.  This
may annoy some folks though it is something they may be able to get used to.
Some people consider files in /usr/tmp to be fair game in this situation.

2) If you boot your system in single user mode, /usr may not be mounted.
This means running programs like ex to do configuration file edition in this
won't work unless A) you mount /usr or B) you rm /tmp and mkdir /tmp to
create yourself a new directory.  As long as you are the only individual
administering the system, these nusiances may only be minor.

They may not be GOOD reasons but they might be FAIR.

							--- Ciemo