I am reading the Linux [Filesystem Hierarchy Standard](https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs-3.0.html) , and I am wondering about the relation of /opt , /etc/opt and /var/opt .
I can read in 2 places that static configuration and variable data for an add-on installed under /opt, should go into /etc/opt and /var/opt:
> Package files that are variable (change in normal operation) must be installed in /var/opt. See the section on /var/opt for more information.
>
> Host-specific configuration files must be installed in /etc/opt. See the section on /etc
for more information.
>
> *ref: https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs/ch03s13.html*
> Host-specific configuration files for add-on application software packages must be installed within the directory /etc/opt/, where is the name of the subtree in /opt where the static data from that package is stored.
>
> *ref: https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs/ch03s07.html#etcoptConfigurationFilesForOpt*
But there is also the below paragraph which leads to my confusion:
> Generally, all data required to support a package on a system must be present within /opt/, including files intended to be copied into /etc/opt/ and /var/opt/ as well as reserved directories in /opt.
>
> *ref: https://refspecs.linuxfoundation.org/FHS_3.0/fhs/ch03s13.html*
It appears that the result of these "rules" is that the config and runtime data should exist twice. And it should be copied from /opt to /{etc,var}/opt. That does not appear practical to me. How am I supposed to handle the conflicting sources of truth and file changes?
Asked by The Fool
(195 rep)
Aug 26, 2023, 10:24 AM