Install Vim to /bin

[robert@…]

It would be nice to have a text editor available when we're in single user mode, or when /usr isn't installed. Vim can still be used, it doesn't link to anything in /usr/lib. So:

mv -v /usr/bin/vim /bin

And then in /etc/vimrc:

if (isdirectory("/usr/share/vim"))
  syntax on
endif

And blam! Vim will work with basic functionality when /usr is not mounted, and will work normally when /usr is mounted, and it's all transparent.

I remember that at least 1 BLFS package, sudo I think, expects vi(m) to be in /usr/bin, but it's configurable.

[willimm]

As for vim in /bin, it will work, but with some issues. The main issue with this setup is that if you decide to later recompile Vim aganst GUI libs (for the graphical editor), vim will get linked aganst those libs, and Vim won't function if the partition where the GUI libs are (could either be /usr or /opt, in my case) isn't mounted. So, that has to be taken into consideration.

[bdubbs@…]

I agree with William. If rebuilt in BLFS, vim will have:

        linux-gate.so.1 =>  (0xffffe000)
        libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgtk-x11-2.0.so.0 (0xb7b93000)
        libgdk-x11-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgdk-x11-2.0.so.0 (0xb7b03000)
        libatk-1.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libatk-1.0.so.0 (0xb7ae9000)
        libgdk_pixbuf-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgdk_pixbuf-2.0.so.0 (0xb7ad1000)
        libpangocairo-1.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpangocairo-1.0.so.0 (0xb7ac6000)
        libpango-1.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpango-1.0.so.0 (0xb7a85000)
        libcairo.so.2 => /usr/lib/libcairo.so.2 (0xb7a18000)
        libgobject-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgobject-2.0.so.0 (0xb79db000)
        libgmodule-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgmodule-2.0.so.0 (0xb79d7000)
        libglib-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libglib-2.0.so.0 (0xb7923000)
        libXt.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXt.so.6 (0xb78d2000)
        libm.so.6 => /lib/libm.so.6 (0xb78ad000)
        libncurses.so.5 => /lib/libncurses.so.5 (0xb7869000)
        libc.so.6 => /lib/libc.so.6 (0xb7748000)
        libX11.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libX11.so.6 (0xb767e000)
        libdl.so.2 => /lib/libdl.so.2 (0xb767a000)
        libSM.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libSM.so.6 (0xb7671000)
        libICE.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libICE.so.6 (0xb7659000)
        libXinerama.so.1 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXinerama.so.1 (0xb7655000)
        libXcursor.so.1 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXcursor.so.1 (0xb764c000)
        libstdc++.so.6 => /usr/lib/libstdc++.so.6 (0xb7570000)
        libgcc_s.so.1 => /usr/lib/libgcc_s.so.1 (0xb7565000)
        libXcomposite.so.1 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXcomposite.so.1 (0xb7562000)
        libXdamage.so.1 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXdamage.so.1 (0xb755f000)
        libXfixes.so.3 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXfixes.so.3 (0xb7559000)
        libpixman-1.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpixman-1.so.0 (0xb7509000)
        libpng12.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpng12.so.0 (0xb74e5000)
        libXrender.so.1 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXrender.so.1 (0xb74dd000)
        libXext.so.6 => /usr/X11R6/lib/libXext.so.6 (0xb74cf000)
        libgio-2.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libgio-2.0.so.0 (0xb7442000)
        libresolv.so.2 => /lib/libresolv.so.2 (0xb742f000)
        libpangoft2-1.0.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpangoft2-1.0.so.0 (0xb7401000)
        libfontconfig.so.1 => /usr/lib/libfontconfig.so.1 (0xb73d7000)
        libfreetype.so.6 => /usr/lib/libfreetype.so.6 (0xb7367000)
        libz.so.1 => /lib/libz.so.1 (0xb7353000)
        libexpat.so.1 => /usr/lib/libexpat.so.1 (0xb7333000)
        libpcre.so.0 => /usr/lib/libpcre.so.0 (0xb7302000)
        /lib/ld-linux.so.2 (0xb7f56000)

At most I think a note that a user may want to put a non-x built version of an editor on /bin might be appropriate. On the other hand, how many users actually have /usr on a separate partition? Users would probably be better off building nano into /bin for the rare cases where an editor is needed without /usr mounted.

[willimm]

Replying to bdubbs@…:

At most I think a note that a user may want to put a non-x built version of an editor on /bin might be appropriate. On the other hand, how many users actually have /usr on a separate partition? Users would probably be better off building nano into /bin for the rare cases where an editor is needed without /usr mounted.

I agree with Bruce, as not many users (myself included) use an /usr partition. In fact, I use a seprate /opt partition (and X11 goes into /opt/X11), yea, more trouble than it's worth, really. If a user has to have a editor that goes into bin, then nano should be put there.