VirtualBox

Opened 14 years ago

Closed 12 years ago

#6639 closed defect (wontfix)

Change installation prefix of VirtualBox on MacOSX

Reported by: sierkb Owned by:
Component: installer Version: VirtualBox 3.1.6
Keywords: Cc:
Guest type: other Host type: Mac OS X

Description (last modified by bird)

Please change the binary installation prefix of VirtualBox from /usr/bin to /usr/local/bin to respect the distinction between System domain (for instance: /System/Library, /usr, /bin), the Local domain (for instance: /Applications/, /Library/, /usr/local, /opt/local) and the User domain (for instance: ~/, ~/Library).

Please keep the good Unix tradition and let /usr be the installation domain (and /usr/bin the binary prefix) for software provided by the system/distributor (relating MacOSX this means: Apple) and /usr/local or /opt/local be the domain prefix of third-party software or installed by the system administrator.

See also 'man hier' and MacOSX Reference Library:File System Overview:File-System Domains.

Change History (9)

comment:1 by Christian Pötzsch, 14 years ago

From a quick look into the link you provided I didn't see any single line which mentions /usr/local. Also keep in mind that this "good Unix tradition" never was a standard or is it these days. On Ubuntu all packages are installed into /usr, cause they are installed by the system package manager.

The next problem is, that /usr/local/bin isn't in the default path of Mac OS X, which would mean its useless or we have to change the default PATH settings. To be honest, I don't want change a working concept, into something which makes more work without any additional gain. Btw, can you tell me any other software which is installed into /usr/local on Mac OS X?

comment:2 by sierkb, 14 years ago

Also keep in mind that this "good Unix tradition" never was a standard or is it these days.

With looking to other Unices and branded UNIX® (MacOSX is a Open Group accepted branded UNIX® ), reconsider what you are saying.

On Ubuntu all packages are installed into /usr, cause they are installed by the system package manager.

What Ubuntu does or is common practice on that platform, is not the measure. Don't focus allone on your favourite, Ubuntu.

The next problem is, that /usr/local/bin isn't in the default path of Mac OS X, which would mean its useless or we have to change the default PATH settings.

Relating MacOSX 10.6.x (Snow Leopard), you err (/usr/local/bin IS in the PATH). Have a look into $PATH, especially at /etc/paths, which is the starting point of $PATH (the initial $PATH is composed by the system via /usr/libexec/path_helper based on /etc/paths and what resists in /etc/paths.d:

cat /etc/paths: /usr/bin
/bin
/usr/sbin
/sbin
/usr/local/bin

Btw, can you tell me any other software which is installed into /usr/local on Mac OS X?

For instance: MySQL
ClamXav (based on clamav)
Git
Mercurial
MacGPG
Binary packages of Subversion/OpenCollabNet are installed into /opt/subversion.
MacPorts resists in /opt/local.

comment:3 by sierkb, 14 years ago

Additionally remember: Application support files, which usally get stored in .dot-files and .dot directories below the user's home directory on other Linux and Unix boxes, have their Mac equivalent in ~/Library/Application support. So, if files get stored in ~/.VirtualBox on Linux boxes, it would be better to store them equivalently below ~/Library/Application Support/VirtualBox on MacOSX for the user files in the user's domain and for files concerning all users and located in the system's domain below /Library/Application Support (see, how and where VMWare stores its files on MacOSX).

See also Where to Put Application Files.

Following that, I suggest, not to store the VirtualBox VM itself directly below ~/Library (as currently) but below ~/Library/Application Support/VirtualBox or, equivalently to VMware Fusion below ~/Library/Documents/Virtual Machines.localized or ~/Virtual Machines.localized. Files, that are needed to run VirtualBox and the VM below ~/Library/Application Support and the individual VM containers maybe elsewhere (as suggested before).

comment:4 by Frank Mehnert, 14 years ago

priority: majorminor

comment:5 by Samuel Gordon, 13 years ago

As an advanced Mac OS X user I can say, application support files should be definitely stored in ~/Library/Application Support/VirtualBox/ or /Library/Application Support/VirtualBox/in order to keep the file structure clean and logical. The whole problem is nicely illustrated on Apple website. I'll post the link once again:

Where to Put Application Files

It's not so difficult to fix it and such a small thing will make this great app even better and more Mac-friendly.

Thank you. Your faithful Mac user.

comment:6 by sierkb, 13 years ago

Any progress in this issue?

comment:7 by sierkb, 13 years ago

Any progress in this issue?

comment:8 by sierkb, 12 years ago

Any progress in this issue? Any estimated time of being fixed in the foreseeable future?

comment:9 by bird, 12 years ago

Description: modified (diff)
Resolution: wontfix
Status: newclosed

The ~/.VirtualBox directory is long gone. /usr/bin/VBox* will remain so for the foreseeable future. sorry.

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