Re: /run and needing a --rundir for configure

[Karl Berry]

Here is rms's reply/query (and my mail to him for reference).

?

Date: Sun, 08 Sep 2013 12:26:22 -0400
From: Richard Stallman <address@hidden>
To: address@hidden (Karl Berry)
Subject: Re: --rundir for coding standards

    + The directory for installing data files which the programs modify
    + while they run, that pertain to one specific machine, and which need
    + not persist longer than the execution of the program.

Those words are not clear to me.  Are these temp files?
If not, how do they differ from temp files?


From: address@hidden (Karl Berry)
To: address@hidden
Subject: --rundir for coding standards

The following additional $(rundir) directory (and corresponding --rundir
option) has been proposed for the coding standards.  The autoconf and
automake maintainers support it (as do I).  Is it ok with you?

*** standards.texi      15 Aug 2013 23:56:35 -0000      1.231
--- standards.texi      7 Sep 2013 22:53:09 -0000
***************
*** 3909,3913 ****
  @example
  --prefix --exec-prefix --bindir --sbindir --libexecdir --sysconfdir
! --sharedstatedir --localstatedir --libdir --includedir --oldincludedir
  --datarootdir --datadir --infodir --localedir --mandir --docdir
  --htmldir --dvidir --pdfdir --psdir
--- 3909,3914 ----
  @example
  --prefix --exec-prefix --bindir --sbindir --libexecdir --sysconfdir
! --sharedstatedir --localstatedir --rundir
! --libdir --includedir --oldincludedir
  --datarootdir --datadir --infodir --localedir --mandir --docdir
  --htmldir --dvidir --pdfdir --psdir

*** make-stds.texi      13 Jul 2012 17:00:17 -0000      1.64
--- make-stds.texi      7 Sep 2013 22:53:08 -0000
***************
*** 519,522 ****
--- 519,531 ----
  @file{$(prefix)/var}.
  (If you are using Autoconf, write it as @samp{@@localstatedir@@}.)
+ 
+ @item rundir
+ The directory for installing data files which the programs modify
+ while they run, that pertain to one specific machine, and which need
+ not persist longer than the execution of the program.  This should
+ normally be @file{/var/run}, but write it as
+ @file{$(localstatedir)/run}.  (Having it as a separate variable allows
+ the use of @file{/run} if desired).  (If you are using Autoconf 2.70
+ or later, write it as @samp{@@rundir@@}.)
  @end table