1. Why on earth did my OS install tinker with /usr/local/ as I was under the impression that that location was for stuff that I, the user, would install?
2. Installing stuff under /usr/local/ helps with subsequent and other installs that expect to find shared libraries and stuff in that location via autoconf, as I understand. If I install under my home dir or some other location, I will have to custom tailor all my installations of all other software that might depend on each other.

I do installs into /usr/local under Solaris as it is a common target location for a lot of stuff, especially packages from http://www.sunfreeware.com. However, to avoid having the o/s mess with it I actually have a separate partition that I mount as /local and make /usr/local a symbolic link to it. Thus, all of my installed packages are held away from /usr. I can then break that link when tinkering with upgrades and remake it again once the danger has, hopefully, passed.

Cheers,

JohnGG

Now, *this* is a great suggestion. Thanks. I will implement this. Given that I already have stuff in my /usr/local/, I should be just able to duplicate that under my home directory ~/usr/local/, then remove /usr/local/, and then create the symbolic link, as suggested. Does that sound ok? (I am not intricately familiar with the Unix underpinnings, so I want to proceed on this carefully so as to not upset an already existing apple cart).

Still would like to know why that darn os upgrade do something so dumb as to rename my lib, and then create a circular link from a new lib to itself.

--

when small people start casting long shadows, it is time to go to bed

Just a habbit I've picked up.

The first thing I do is symlink /opt to /usr/local or vice-versa. Makes installations a lot easier.