[Fedora-livecd-list] RFC- proposal for livecd filesystem layout changes

[Jeremy Katz]

On Sun, 2007-09-23 at 05:35 -0500, Douglas McClendon wrote:
> Colin Walters wrote:
> > On 9/20/07, Douglas McClendon <dmc.fedora at filteredperception.org> wrote:
> >> Another benefit is making the iso directory structure look nicer and
> >> more intuitively understandable for someone looking at it under windows.
> >>
> >> [...]
> >>
> >>  This also
> >> would make the usb/iso directory structure look cleaner and more
> >> intuitively understandable to less linux-guru users when they look at
> >> the directory structure under windows (or anywhere)
> > 
> > I'm not qualified to comment on whether filesystem path cleanups are
> > useful for other reasons, but I think the Windows thing is not an
> > interesting benefit.  We don't (or shouldn't) require non-developers
> > to interact with the directory structure, and developers will have to
> > understand things anyways.
> 
> A couple more responses-
> 
> First, not to your point but...  I think that the same reasons I
> advocate these changes for windows users, apply moreso to developers.  I
> think that the proposed filesystem layout will make more intuitive sense
> to developers.
> 
> Second, I think I can provide an example use-case refuting your
> statement-  What about the situation of a user wanting to spin a livecd
> with perhaps say... lots of creative commons media content.  I.e. a
> bunch of .jpgs and .oggs on the iso.  I think having a directory
> structure like-
> 
> /music/(some .oggs)
> /images/(some .jpegs)
> /documentation/(some releasenotes and other html)
> /boot
> /LiveOS
> 
> looks much better to the user than having /os.img and /osmin.gz and
> /isolinux littering the cdrom root filesystem.
> 
> It is aesthetics.  But I think they really do matter.

This is basically the crux of why I think it might be worth changing.
And in fact have 99% convinced myself to go ahead and commit the patches
later tonight or tomorrow.

Jeremy