[gentoo-dev] Is /var/cache the right place for repositories?

[Ulrich Mueller]

The FHS says:

   /var/cache is intended for cached data from applications. Such data
   is locally generated as a result of time-consuming I/O or
   calculation. The application must be able to regenerate or restore
   the data.

Now I wonder: After removal of e.g. the Portage tree from a system, it
is generally not possible to restore it. (It can be refetched, but not
to its previous state.)

Same is true for distfiles, at least to some degree. They may have
vanished upstream or from mirrors.

Maybe /var/lib would be a better choice? It would also take care of
the issue with fetch-restricted files.

Ulrich