Could we please have /opt in SYSTEM?

1st Official Post
    • Official Post

    LE is intentionally a dumb client OS with no package manager and our approach to these kind of changes is to have people create and release community images with a unique builder ID via these forums first. Then if we can see a feature is popular (the builder ID allows us to count active installs) we will consider absorbing the changes into official releases. To avoid "the death of a thousand cuts" we have always avoided making speculative changes.

    Thank you for explaining your point, that makes sense. And in a way I agree with it (that is why I would never ask to incorporate entware directly). I just thought that having writeable /opt would give people some extensibility without bothering the core developers (and most of the users) of LE. If some strange users would have that 'death of thousand cuts' - you'd have nothing to do with it. Well, anyway, it's your world... Thanks again

    I personally disagree with position of chewitt regarding this fix. One extra folder in root has zero maintenance effort and one line change but asking to create forks for all possible libreelec variations with /opt and then doing research is much higher effort.

    • Official Post

    It about design philosophy. If you want a Linux distro with console install package management there are many to choose from. LE has the goal of being a GUI oriented 'appliance' and in the projects ~10 year history it has not needed or wanted a package manager. I'd be more interested in knowing what the 3-5 legitimate (not piracy or content stealing) binary applications are that people want to install via a package manager so those can either be embraced in the core distro or be adapted to GUI installed add-ons (or added to existing tools add-ons).

    I am using entware to install netatalk, to use LE as a TimeMachine backup for my Apple laptop (not piracy, yeah?). I totally realize that it not LE purpose, but maintaining 2nd linux box at home looks like an overkill for me (considering that LE has large harddrive).

    • Official Post
    Quote from art.sormy

    I personally disagree with position of chewitt regarding this fix. One extra folder in root has zero maintenance effort and one line change but asking to create forks for all possible libreelec variations with /opt and then doing research is much higher effort.

    One extra folder can become two extra folders which then.. Well you get the idea.

    LE's philosophy of a R/O root system might seem strict, but from a supporting issue, it makes a lot of sense as each release across devices are all similar - none are tainted with "I haven't installed anything HONEST" or a multitude of "apt install" that might have an effect on other installed core components. For this reason. LE provides add-ons for selected extras that are independent of the core operating system.

    If you've used Linux for a while, you'll know that you will hold your breath whenever you do an "apt upgrade" in fear of missing dependencies or worse, finding something doesn't work afterwards. With LE upgrades, everything is tested prior to release (with the exception of totally unknown events) so each upgrade should be transparent.

    If you want a totally open box then there are many options. OSMC, XBian and GeeXbox.

    Currently I had to hack SYSTEM to add /opt for every upgrade, as described by the link I provided above. Not even holding my breath, I just know for a fact that that LE will break my setup every time (so I had to boot from USB live fedora, mount LE boot FS, create /opt in SYSTEM using mksquashfs...)... Having existing /opt would save me (and people like me) some effort with every upgrade without opening any pandora box for LE. Noone is asking to make root FS writeable, god forbid! That would definitely be against LE vision, I can clearly see that.