Re: Proper location to install shell function libraries?

[Nick Bowler]

Hello,

On 3/1/17, Andreas Kusalananda Kähäri <address@hidden> wrote:
[...]
> The scripts make use of a common set of shell functions, defined in
> their own file.  This is currently sourced like this:
>
>     prefix="@prefix@"
>     exec_prefix="@exec_prefix@"
>     . "@libexecdir@/toolbox.shlib"
>
> Then, in the configure.ac file, I have a line like
>
>     AC_CONFIG_FILES([src/script], [chmod +x src/script])
>
> for each script, so that it's generated from the corresponding script.in
> file upon running configure.
>
> My query is this: Would libexecdir be the best place to put a file that
> is architecture dependent, but *not* meant to be executed separatedly
> (it's a library).  Or should it actually be stored under libdir (which
> I've never seen done with a shell library of functions)?

Seems fine.  If you are installing more than one file (or think you
might do so in the future) I suggest putting them in a subdirectory
thereof -- if you use Automake then this will define the pkglibexecdir
variable by default to install files into a subdirectory with the
same name as your package.

The definition of these install variables comes from the GNU Coding
Standards[1].  You mention the installed scripts are machine-dependent
so they should be installed in either libdir or libexecdir.  GCS says:

  "libexecdir: The directory for installing executable programs to be
               run by other programs rather than by users  ..."

  "libdir:     The directory for object files and libraries of object
               code ..."

Which doesn't really help us decide where to install non-executable
machine-dependent shell fragments.  Based on this information alone,
libexecdir seems like a reasonable choice.  However, looking at what
packages installed on my computer do, libdir seems to be much more
commonly used.  So I'd say do whatever you prefer.

[1] https://www.gnu.org/prep/standards/

Cheers,
  Nick