What is etc/mtree/NetBSD.dist for?

Can someone tell me what this file is for? The comment at
the top of  
it just warns against editing it.

All I can see is that this file causes problems. Entries in
it must  
be present on the system, so they can't be made conditional
in the  
sets lists in distrib/sets/lists. This in turn leads to a
whole lot  
of empty directories. e.g. When I compile with MKSHARE=no, I
expect  
to not see anything in /usr/share. Instead I see lots of
empty  
directories. There seem to ongoing problems where developers
fail to  
keep the sets and NetBSD.dist in sync. Since each set has
it's own  
mtree listing, I can't see an obvious use for NetBSD.dist.

IMHO This doesn't reflect the quality of engineering that
NetBSD  
users aspire to.

Cheers,
Lloyd

On Sat, Mar 01, 2008 at 12:17:00PM +1300, Lloyd Parkes
wrote:
> Can someone tell me what this file is for? The comment
at the top of  
> it just warns against editing it.
> 
> All I can see is that this file causes problems.
Entries in it must  
> be present on the system, so they can't be made
conditional in the  
> sets lists in distrib/sets/lists. This in turn leads to
a whole lot  
> of empty directories. e.g. When I compile with
MKSHARE=no, I expect  
> to not see anything in /usr/share. Instead I see lots
of empty  
> directories. There seem to ongoing problems where
developers fail to  
> keep the sets and NetBSD.dist in sync. Since each set
has it's own  
> mtree listing, I can't see an obvious use for
NetBSD.dist.

It holds the directory structure where files are going to be
installed.
AFAIK the sets mtree listing is generated after the
installation, not before.

-- 
Manuel Bouyer <bouyerantioche.eu.org>
     NetBSD: 26 ans d'experience feront toujours la
difference
--