Hello mark,

18 Jul 15 21:42, you wrote to me:

 ml> i do that with /home as a matter of principle... especially since i
 ml> don't want to break an user's private installs and such ;)

I've installed MBSE four times under four different distros and NOT ONCE did I 
have a problem installing it to /opt.

So you're willing to install a publicly accessable server into your home 
directory?  Do you leave your home unlocked when you leave?  That's just 
asking for problems.  MBSE is a system install, not a private user install, 
and it's set up that way...

Not only that, but /home is actually an optional directory and not all systems 
even use /home.

From the MBSE manual:

"MBSE BBS is default installed in /opt/mbse. It should be possible to install 
the bbs in a different location but this is not supported. Many have tried, 
and and only a few have succeeded. See Filesystem Hierarchy Standard for more 
info."

It's done that way so the software will work correctly under every install, 
that's why.  You should realize this.

From 
http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#OPTADDONAPPLICATIONSOFTWAREPA 
CKAGE S:

"The use of /opt for add-on software is a well-established practice in the 
UNIX community. The System V Application Binary Interface [AT&T 1990], based 
on the System V Interface Definition (Third Edition), provides for an /opt 
structure very similar to the one defined here.

The Intel Binary Compatibility Standard v. 2 (iBCS2) also provides a similar 
structure for /opt.

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.

The minor restrictions on distributions using /opt are necessary because 
conflicts are possible between distribution-installed and locally-installed 
software, especially in the case of fixed pathnames found in some binary 
software.

The structure of the directories below /opt/ is left up to the 
packager of the software, though it is recommended that packages are installed 
in /opt// and follow a similar structure to
the guidelines 
for /opt/package. A valid reason for diverging from this structure is for 
support packages which may have files installed in /opt//lib or 
/opt//bin."

From:
http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.3.html#PURPOSE10

"/home : User home directories (optional)
Purpose

/home is a fairly standard concept, but it is clearly a site-specific 
filesystem. [9] The setup will differ from host to host. Therefore, no program 
should rely on this location. [10]"

So if you want to go breaking MBSE from its official distribution, go right 
ahead and do it.  I didn't have any problem following directions, but just 
because others do, that doesn't mean you can go around breaking software just 
because of your ineptitude in INSTALLING IT.  I mean, if you can't even 
install the software right, perhaps you shouldn't be using it!

This isn't Windows where you can stick a program wherever you want and not 
worry about it. :)

I've several patches I'm going to be giving Andrew (hopefully soon).  I won't 
support any patches I've made unless MBSE is installed correctly.  After 
nearly 20 years of supporting Cheepware, I've come to the conclusion that a 
majority of sysops are lazy and don't bother reading the directions.  In the 
MBSE manual, it says that all distros may not work with MBSE, but it seems 
people overlook that fact and claim MBSE is broken.

--Sean

--- GoldED+/LNX 1.1.5-b20150715