/usr/local/bin in $PATH in system scripts?

[Derek Broughton]

Fergal Daly wrote:

> I'm looking for clarification of policy in the context of this bug
> 
> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-system-tools/+bug/71336
> 
> and the fact that having your own version of Perl in /usr/local will
> almost certainly break your Ubuntu admin tools.

Well, perl should normally be in /usr/bin, so as long as /usr/local/bin is
after /usr/bin, there shouldn't be a problem.
> 
> I have always assumed that it was safe to put whatever I like in
> /usr/local/ and my system will continue to work. This seems to be
> backed up by Debian policy
> 
> http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-opersys.html#s-sysvinit
> 
> which contains this paragraph
> 
> "However, because /usr/local and its contents are for exclusive use of
> the local administrator, a package must not rely on the presence or
> absence of files or directories in /usr/local for normal operation."

Well, that's Debian policy, not ubuntu's, but I would think even Debian
policy collapses there if files in /usr/local are in the path and come
before policy-required files.
-- 
derek