[Novalug] Your SHELL is not in /etc/shells

James Ewing Cottrell III JECottrell3@Comcast.NET
Sat Aug 3 01:14:14 EDT 2013


No, it's not Broken, it's just Quirky. And the answers, while different, 
are similar. In reality, systems have different lineages, and inherit 
their parent's quirkage. Different groups have tinkered with the layout.

I just found out that the Debian UIDs and GIDs don't match the RedHat 
ones...they made the Same Mistake that the UNIX people did all over 
again. Grrrrr.

JIM

On 8/1/2013 11:59 AM, Charles R. Head wrote:
> *Guys,*
>
> I've been quietly reading all of the replies in this thread, seeking
> both an understanding of the folder hierarchy and an answer to a
> question I've been asking myself. The question is, “Is the Linux/Unix
> folder hierarchy broken and/or incomprehensibly complex?”
>
> The conclusion I've come to is that the Linux/Unix folder hierarchy
> probably does make sense (to a select few) and that there are actually
> some experts out there who understand it well enough to use it.
> Absolutely amazing!!
>
> Unfortunately, I'm not one of those experts and am unlikely ever to
> ascend to that elevated level.  I bet damn few Linux users do understand
> it. From what I've seen, if you ask three self proclaimed experts a
> question about the Linux file hierarchy, you'll get three mutually
> contradictory answers.  As a consequence, I've concluded the Linux/Unix
> folder hierarchy might just as well be written in Mandarin and is
> irredeemably broken. The only way I can find anything is to use the
> system search function.  Then, of course, I have to know the file name
> ahead of time, at least close enough for a wild card search.
> Alternatively, when I'm trying to figure out where to put something
> (other than a data file), I have no idea where to start.  Hell, it might
> as well be the Windows folder hierarchy.
>
> I've read the Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard.  As far as I'm
> concerned, the standard says there are at least three places you can put
> anything (please excuse my slight exaggeration – used only for
> emphasis).  An old boss of mine used to insist that if more than one
> person is responsible for something, then no one is responsible for that
> item.  Similarly, if there is more than one place to put anything, there
> isn't any defined location for that item.
>
> So where do I go from here?  Damn if I know.  Only one of you took me up
> on my suggestion (tongue in cheek) to use GoboLinux.  I still consider
> that the Linux folder hierarchy is badly in need of simplification and
> translation into plain language.  The fact that there is a GoboLinux
> says someone out there agrees with me.  Anyone want to take on the task
> of fixing the Linux folder hierarchy?  Does anyone know of such an
> effort, other than GoboLinux?
>
> *Charlie Head
> *
>
> ************************************************
> *
>
> On 8/1/2013 1:51 AM, James Ewing Cottrell III wrote:
>> Shells are Always considered to be in /bin, even if they are "really" in
>> /usr/bin, and should be entered in /etc/passwd that way.
>>
>> /bin/sh is Sacred.
>>
>> JIM
>>
>> On 7/22/2013 8:02 PM, Jon LaBadie wrote:
>>> Some may not know that recent Fedora releases have
>>> merged /bin and /usr/bin.  The executables are in
>>> /usr/bin and /bin is a symbolic link to /usr/bin.
>>>
>>> When I saw this I changed my password file entry to
>>> show my shell as /usr/bin/ksh, the actual location.
>>> This field of the password file is used for the
>>> initial value of SHELL upon login.
>>>
>>> That edit just bit me when I started  some program
>>> and it refused to run because my SHELL variable was
>>> not listed in /etc/shells.
>>>
>>> I'm a little surprised that Fedora only lists /bin/ksh
>>> and doesn't list both locations in /etc/shells.
>>>
>>> Jon
>>>
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