Re: [BUG] inconsistency in $localstatedir and $runstatedir

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   Hi Alejandro,

   I think the source of the confusion is that "Should normally be" and how
   you should write a default value don't match up because it is normal to
   use non-default values.

   So systems are commonly set up with localstatedir=/usr/var and
   runstatedir=/var/run, despite the fact that their defaults are
   $prefix/var and the result of appending /run to it.  The reason to give
   the defaults in this form is so that, when someone sets prefix to
   /usr/local, they (by default) get /usr/local/var and /usr/local/var/run
   and thus conform to "how your non-system GNU install should work" rather
   than stomping on where things would have been if you'd hard-coded what
   many folk do in fact set up.  This way, if someone sets things up
   differently, you play nicely with their choices, rather than hard-coding
   what "everyone" else does.

   It's about whoever administers a particular box being at liberty to do
   what they want, so if you're writing software to offer to others to
   install on their systems, your defaults should be "polite" and not
   impose on them any particular set-up.

Well written.