default program directories
 

I installed redhat 8 on my desktop computer. I have installed mandrake 7.1 and 8.1 on other computers and used samba on all of them. I then installed the updated samba from source code to the rh8 machine. My only problem is this. Why did it make multiple locations for smb.conf? It is in /etc/smb.conf /etc/samba/smb.conf and /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf. I thought it always put that file in /etc/smb.conf. Can someone explain to me what the default directories are for program installs under linux? Is there a way to change this. The only reason I am asking is that even though the new latest samba install went to /usr/local/samba it is looking at the /etc/smb.conf and not the one at /usr/local/samba/lib/smb.conf.

Thanks,

Programs installed from RPMs come to /bin, /sbin, /usr/bin and /usr/sbin (+XFree directories). Compiled by you - usually to /usr/local/bin (or /usr/local/sbin). Usually the ./configure script accepts --prefix=directory option that allows you to specify the directory it should install to (for example: ./configure --prefix=/usr, then the binaries would go to /usr/bin or /usr/sbin).

Many programs with a configuration files install it to /etc. But not all. Especially XFree apps use different directories. Samba searches /etc/smb.conf by default. The configuration file path can be set to a different value (I don't remember now how and don't have Samba copy to check...).

DO NOT USE RPM'S--THEY ARE EVIL! :-)