[DRE-maint] Bug#448639: rubygems: please install gems in /usr/local/lib/gems/1.8

[Daigo Moriwaki]

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severity 448639 wishlist
tags 448639 + wontfix
thanks

Hi Lucas,

Lucas Nussbaum wrote:
> I thought a lot about the gem issues. I think that we should do the
> following:
> 
> install gems in /usr/local/lib/ruby/gems/1.8 (instead of
> /var/lib/gems/1.8), and put binaries in /usr/local/bin (instead of
> /usr/bin).
> 
> provide an option to install gems in /usr/lib/ruby/gems/1.8. This could
> be used by gem packaged as debian packages. (their binaries would then
> go to /usr/bin)
> 
> What was the reason to install gems to /var/lib/gems in the first place?

/usr/lib is a preserved directory for Debian system where only official Debian
packages that are maintained by Debian developers are expected to put and update
their files. That's my understanding. Since gems that are installed by the gem
command are not Debian's, they should not go to /usr/lib.

Moreover, some gems may be packaged as Debian package (.deb) by Debian
developers. For example, you can get rake by both apt-get and gem. If gems are
installed to /usr/lib, files of which may conflict with ones of Debian packages.

/usr/local is a preserved directory for Debian user. I think that Debian
packages should not install any files there. Since the gem command from the
rubygems package belongs to Debian package, it installs nothing in /usr/local.

That's why I've selected /var/lib.



Thanks,
Daigo

- --
Daigo Moriwaki
daigo at debian dot org
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