[distcc] Monitor programs do not work with Portage/Gentoo Linux

[Martin Pool]

On  7 Jul 2003, "Lisa M." <lisa at thedoh.com> wrote:

> So far I think that any state directory that is not relying on TMPDIR,
> HOME, or TMP is an optimal solution (and that's why I fixed the state
> dir in the distcc ebuild patches to /tmp/).  Placing the state dir in
> the /var hierarchy (/var/run/distcc/ perhaps?) seems a logical place to
> let the files live -- baring any user-restricting permission problems
> with /var/run.

Gentoo is now shipping distcc with a patch that both the maintainer,
and other well informed people on the list told you was a bad idea.

Doing this shows very little consideration of either the upstream
maintainer or your users, because it means the behaviour on Gentoo is
different and therefore harder to support, and the documentation is no
longer accurate.  

The fact that you have the legal right and ability to distribute
modifications does not mean it's a good idea to ignore the proper
process.

A one line change is not a big deal but please don't make a habit of
it.  Distributions have regularly got egg (or worse) on their face by
doing so.

-- 
Martin