[DRE-maint] Bug#448639: Bug#448639: /usr/local

[Gunnar Wolf]

Daigo Moriwaki dijo [Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 12:55:16PM +0900]:
> Thank you all for the invaluable comments.
> 
> We, the Debian Ruby packagers, have decided to make a change on this issue.
> (...)
> Anyway, is it correct for me to say that the following locations are our consensus?
> 
> default_dir: /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.9.1
> default_bindir: /usr/local/bin
> 
> A drawback of using /usr/local/bin is that users/administrators have to decide
> what executables they want to use. It is up to them to be aware of what they are
> installing and manage possible conflicts with other packages or what comes from
> other Ruby versions. Fortunately, since gems for ruby1.8 still remains under
> /var, ruby1.9.1 and ruby1.8 can co-exist, which, however, may or may not be
> doable with future Ruby versions[2].
> 
> The advantage of this behavior is that it matches other user-land packaging
> systems such as CPAN, pipy, Ruby installed bases on other Operating Systems and
> etc. Therefore, users will not be confused about the Debian proprietary locations.

Ummm.. What would you say about setting default_bindir to
/usr/local/bin/ruby/gems/1.9.1 (or something similar), and advising
administrators to symlink whatever binaries they want to be on the
exec path? This leaves /usr/local as the area where all of gems'
"mess" is carried out, while avoiding the installaton of potentially
unchecked code in the default exec path (as others have pointed out in
the last messages)