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From: gersh@aplpy.jhuapl.edu (John R. Gersh)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.system
Subject: Re: Why does System 7 keep rebuilding my desktops?
Summary: It's the difference in desktop file structures
Keywords: System 7.0, desktop
Message-ID: <1991May23.211229.21367@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Date: 23 May 91 21:12:29 GMT
References: <1991May22.171223.13065@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu>
Sender: news@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu (USENET News System)
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Organization: Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab
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In article <1991May22.171223.13065@aplcen.apl.jhu.edu> I asked
about the continual desktop-rebuilding that took place when booting
under System 7 after running under System 6.0.5, with the same two hard disks
mounted.

I've thought some more about it and several people have replied. The
consensus is that this is the natural consequence of the difference in the
two systems' handling of desktop information:

When running under System 6.0.x, desktop updates modify only the Desktop
resource file, of course; that's all the earlier systems know about.

System 7.O keeps desktop information in the Desktop DF and Desktop DB data
files (a la Desktop Manager). If the disks' desktops have been modified by an
earlier system, System 7.0 notices that its desktop files are not up to date
when it boots and rebuilds them, telling the user that it's doing so. This is
therefore definitely a feature, not a bug, not a problem, and is the
inevitable result of switching betweeen the system versions with the same
disks mounted.

Well, perhaps not inevitable; a few people suggested using the Desktop
Manager init when running under 6.0.5 to keep things in sync.

Thanks to all.

						- John Gersh
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