Re: Tcsh doesn't add a /bin/tcsh

[Vadim Vygonets <vadik@cs.huji.ac.il>]

On 14 Aug 1997, John Goerzen wrote:

> Is there some reason *not* to add a symlink from /bin/tcsh to
> /usr/bin/tcsh?

Well, I would change some things in the policy of shells, for example,
I would just put csh in /bin.  Some people say tcsh belongs in /bin,
too, but I don't think that tcsh is so important to be there.  In
short, I believe that tcsh must live in /usr.

There is no reason not to add this symlink, but there is no reason to
add the symlink (it was discussed), therefore I didn't do it.  But if
you want to add it on your system, please go ahead.  You can even
re-build the tcsh package before you install tcsh on your machines.
BTW if you put that symlink and make /bin/tcsh the shell of some
people, you'll have to edit /etc/shells.

> On our network, none of the computers (SunOS, AIX, Ultrix, etc) came
> pre-built with tcsh.  Since all the other shells are in /bin on those
> computers, tcsh was added there, so lots of users have their passwd
> entries pointing to /bin/tcsh.

I would install everything local into /usr/local/bin, tho...  In our
University, we have /bin/csh as the default shell, and the following
piece of code(?) in users' default .cshrc:

----- If you cut here, you'll probably destroy your monitor -----
set path = ( /usr/local/bin /bin /usr/bin /usr/contrib/bin \
        /usr/local/X11R6/bin /usr/X11R6/bin /usr/bin/X11 )
# The X11R6 path is added there because of the exit below, so all the
# csh scripts that sant something from X11 directories will work.
# This is just temp path, the real one is being set somewhere below.

if (! $?prompt) then
    exit 0
endif

if (! $?tcsh) then
        foreach dir ($path)
                if ($dir =~ .*) continue
                if (-x $dir/tcsh) then
                        set tcshpath = $dir/tcsh
                        break
                endif
        end
        if ($?tcshpath) then
                setenv SHELL $tcshpath
                exec tcsh $argv
        endif
endif
----- Cut! ----- Here? ----- Please... ----- Do ----- It! -----

> Since the domain is using NIS, this means that the passwd entries on
> Debian are looking for /bin/tcsh as well.

> Since /bin is the home of all the other shells, I really see no reason
> that it should not also be the home of tcsh (either the actual binary
> or a symlink to it).  bash, ash, ksh, zsh, etc. all install to bin.
> tcsh doesn't.  Manually adding symlinks on dozens of machines is not
> fun, plus when others install a new Debian machine, they wonder why
> they can't login and where tcsh went to!

Not in all Unices all the shells live in /bin.  tcsh lives in /bin,
/usr/bin, /usr/contrib/bin, /usr/local/bin and where not!  But I won't
make symlinks in every imaginable directory.

> Also, section 3.1 of the FSSTND says:
> 
>   /bin/csh may be a symbolic link to /bin/tcsh or /usr/bin/tcsh. 

May.

> So there is no problem putting tcsh in /bin.

Well, that's right, we just didn't do it.  I personally would put csh
there first :)

In short, I don't think I need to create that symlink, but you as a
sysadmin are welcome to do it on your network.

Vadik.

--
Vadim Vygonets * vadik@cs.huji.ac.il * vadik@debian.org * Unix admin
The IP datagram is printed, on a small scroll of paper, in hexadecimal,
with each octet separated by whitestuff and blackstuff.  The scroll of
paper is wrapped around one leg of the avian carrier.  -- RFC 1149



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