a place for configuration files

[Gary Kline]

On Thu, Mar 23, 2006 at 02:06:07AM +0100, Andrzej Cuber wrote:
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> for the last 5 years I was using Red Hat and Fedora Core Linuxes.
> With the beginning of the current year I installed FreeBSD Release 6 on one 
> of my servers.
> It took me about a week to setup the system but I am very happy with it now.
> 
> I build most of the stuff from the sources using ports.
> What I found strange is that the configuration files of different services 
> are located in two different places. Most configuration which was installed 
> from the CD is located at /etc but everything what I built from sources is 
> located at /usr/local/etc. Maybe this is the way it use to be on Unix 
>  based systems.


	I think having a /usr/local/etc is "new" (past decade maybe),
	but the /usr/local directory paradigm is a Berkeley thing.
	It probably began with the 4.X distribution; I began using 
	Unix with V6 and there was no "local" directory.

> 
> In RedHat and Fedora distributions all configuration files are located at 
> /etc.
> I am very new to FreeBSD but I found it difficult. After installing desired 
> package I have to add it to /etc/rc.conf in order to start it as a service 
> and then I have to look for configuration folder in /usr/local/etc.
> 
> Is there any reason why the configuration files are placed in those 
> different locations?


	I'd guess just custom/habit/the-way-it's-always-been-done.
	It makes sense to me to have the etc directories at least
	symlinked.  Or the option-of having it.   BUT ....

	gary


> 
> -- 
> pozdrawiam / best regards
> Andrzej Cuber
> +48 504 271-977
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-- 
   Gary Kline     kline at thought.org   www.thought.org     Public service Unix