Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!fernwood!synopsys!arnold
From: arnold@mango.synopsys.com (Arnold de Leon)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: comp.unix.admin.large
Message-ID: <609@synopsys.COM>
Date: 18 Dec 90 02:06:56 GMT
Sender: news@synopsys.com
Followup-To: comp.unix.admin
Organization: Synopsys Inc.
Lines: 56

I am in the process of redesigning the way provide /usr/local/{bin,etc,lib,man}

Here is what I have in mind

        o automount /usr/local
                
        o any 'package' containing more than one binary would be
          installed in it's own directory.
                Example:  perl
                        /usr/local/perl/{bin,lib,man} would be created.
                        The contents of /usr/local/perl/{bin,lib,man}
                        would be symlinked to /usr/local/{bin,lib,man}
                        as needed.

        o a side-effect is /usr/local/bin will be mostly symbolic links

Motivation:

        + allow packages to be distributed on different files servers
          while allowing a consistent name space.

        + automounting will allow 'critical' packages to be replicated,
          also it would be easy to move packages

        + easier to update and deinstall software.  All the binaries,
          libaries are in one place.  Useful with large installations
          with multiple sys admins.

        + responsibility for packages can be more easily delagated to
          others.

        + easier to make a binary distribution for others (in my case,
          remote sales offices).

        - LOTS of symbolic links, possible performance hit

        - initial command generate automount mount request, another possible
          performance

	? possible automount mount storm on hashing of paths?

Questions:

        Any one done anything similar?  If so how is it?  Will you do it
again?

        What do you think of the possible performance problem?  Is there
one?  Is it significant enough to worry about or is it small enough
to ignore.  Is the performance problem heavily tied to into usage
patterns?  If so what are the really bad cases?

-- 
Arnold de Leon  			arnold@synopsys.com
Synopsys Inc.				(415) 962-5051
1098 Alta Ave.
Mt. View, CA 94043