Bug 261144 - hier(7): Document /sys and the function of this symlink
Summary: hier(7): Document /sys and the function of this symlink
Status: New
Alias: None
Product: Documentation
Classification: Unclassified
Component: Manual Pages (show other bugs)
Version: Latest
Hardware: Any Any
: --- Affects Only Me
Assignee: freebsd-bugs (Nobody)
URL:
Keywords:
Depends on:
Blocks:
 
Reported: 2022-01-12 11:22 UTC by Mateusz Piotrowski
Modified: 2023-07-29 06:02 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

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Description Mateusz Piotrowski freebsd_committer freebsd_triage 2022-01-12 11:22:23 UTC 

    


    


      



        
          Comment 1
        

        
          Pau Amma

        

        
        

        
          2022-01-12 23:49:55 UTC
        

      






So why does /sys need to exist? What it does looks clear to me: provide a shortcut to /usr/src/sys, but why is (or was) one needed?

    


    


      



        
          Comment 2
        

        
          Graham Perrin

        

        
            freebsd_committer
            freebsd_triage
        

        
          2022-01-13 02:18:59 UTC
        

      






(In reply to PauAmma from comment #1)

Via <https://old.reddit.com/comments/giaz0j/-/fqeekss/>: 

Unix directory hierarchy history | Pixelstech.net
<https://www.pixelstech.net/article/1477109665-Unix-directory-hierarchy-history>
(2016-10-21)

The response in Reddit compared these two manual pages – /sys/ is documented in the first but not the second: 

<https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=hier&sektion=7&apropos=0&manpath=2.11+BSD>

<https://www.freebsd.org/cgi/man.cgi?query=hier&sektion=7&apropos=0&manpath=4.3BSD+NET%2f2>

If I recall correctly, the symbolic link is for compatibility and not purely historic.

    


    


      



        
          Comment 3
        

        
          Graham Perrin

        

        
            freebsd_committer
            freebsd_triage
        

        
          2022-01-13 02:28:25 UTC
        

      






I guess, symbolic links are intentionally excluded from hier(4). 

If so, document them in the FreeBSD Handbook: 

<https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/basics/#dirstructure>
<https://docs.freebsd.org/en/books/handbook/book/#dirstructure>

    


    


      



        
          Comment 4
        

        
          Graham Perrin

        

        
            freebsd_committer
            freebsd_triage
        

        
          2022-01-13 02:31:35 UTC
        

      






Sorry, a typo: 

> hier(4).

– I meant hier(7).