Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!ico!auto-trol!marbru From: marbru@auto-trol.UUCP (Martin Brunecky) Newsgroups: comp.windows.x Subject: Re: application resource file location Message-ID: <823@auto-trol.UUCP> Date: 15 Sep 90 00:32:40 GMT References: <1990Sep13.201032.4285@Solbourne.COM> Reply-To: marbru@auto-trol.UUCP (Martin Brunecky) Followup-To: The "standard" place for application files Organization: Auto-trol Technology, Denver Lines: 48 In article <1990Sep13.201032.4285@Solbourne.COM> garya@garya.Solbourne.COM (Gary Aitken) writes: >>> The "standard" place for all other files related to an >>> application is >> /usr/lib/X11/ >> >> Nope, it's /usr/lib/X11/ >> >> For example, /usr/lib/X11/uil, /usr/lib/X11/help, /usr/lib/X11/bitmaps... > ...... thanx, Gary, for a thorough explanation of related issues ..... Since I was involved in a similar battle on a VMS turf, allow me to add few more observations. The approach of / becomes a nightmare for a person managing the system (be it VMS, Unix or RT-11). Imagine you have to remove an application which is no more used. With the /, your chances of hitting the wrong files (and destroying some other application) are pretty high, but you usually manage to remove less than 50% of the target. Next issue are potential naming conflicts. Two applications may simply choose to use the same name /foo for two slightly different contents. Next issue are system upgrades, where files in / may be part of the system. But you want to upgrade the system by re-loading the entire thing, only that you don't know which files to back-up to preserve across the upgrade, and which you MUST NOT since by restoring those you would negate the upgrade. No. // is a place for very, very, very limited set of files, which is very difficult to control. I'd go so far to leave it RESERVED for the vendor supplying the system. Application specific files should always be bound within an application tree, which sometimes may even start with a vendor name: /MIT/appl_1/... The habbit of / has it's roots in times of RSX-11 (and for that manner, Unix). PLEASE, don't try to force that on us today. A -- =*= Opinions presented here are solely of my own and not those of Auto-trol =*= Martin Brunecky marbru@auto-trol.COM (303) 252-2499 {...}ncar!ico!auto-trol!marbru Auto-trol Technology Corp. 12500 North Washington St., Denver, CO 80241-2404