Finding a Successor to the FHS
6 days ago
- #Linux
- #Systemd
- #Filesystem Hierarchy Standard
- The Filesystem Hierarchy Standard (FHS) aims to standardize filesystem layout on Linux systems but has been frozen since 2015.
- Efforts to revive FHS and create FHS 4.0 are slow-moving, with discussions among Fedora developers considering alternatives like systemd's file-hierarchy documentation.
- The history of filesystem standardization dates back to FSSTND in 1994, evolving into FHS under the Linux Foundation's Linux Standard Base (LSB) project.
- FHS 3.0, released in 2015, is outdated, missing key developments like usr-merge and bin/sbin merge, leading to calls for updates or replacements.
- Systemd's file-hierarchy documentation, now part of the Linux Userspace API (UAPI) Group's specifications, is proposed as a modern alternative to FHS.
- Debate exists over whether the UAPI Group's specifications are neutral or systemd-driven, with some skepticism about the FHS 4.0 effort's progress.
- Fedora may adopt the UAPI file-hierarchy specification, potentially leading other distributions to follow, though current adherence varies (e.g., Debian uses FHS 3.0, Gentoo does not adhere).
- The need for a universal Linux filesystem standard may have waned with the rise of containerized and packaged applications (Flatpaks, Snaps, AppImage).
- Until FHS is updated, the UAPI documentation remains the only current specification for filesystem hierarchy.