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List:       kde-core-devel
Subject:    Re: Slighly related - next try
From:       Lotzi Boloni <boloni () cplane ! com>
Date:       2000-07-28 17:54:37
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> But they aren't documents in the same way a text file is a document. I
> don't think of my scheduling data as a "document".

  Ok, it is "data". But as a notebook or as a Palm Pilot, in the physical 
world it is one, touchable thing. And normally you keep it in the most 
accessible place possible: in my pocket. And there are other possible future 
things: electronic wallets, signature files etc. which also must be visible 
and accessible. 

> Besides, using ~/ IS pollution.

  Ok, I am getting confrontational here. :- (Although my proposal was 
Documents, not ~)

  So, what are we supposed to use ~ for? About one hundred hidden 
configuration files, in the most visible part of my system. Some of them even 
from kde: .kderc, .ksirc-xxxx, .KSMServer, .DCOPServer, .MCOP-random-seed 
etc. 

  Now, those SHOULD go to .kde, as they are never touched by users - even 
advanced ones. That is certainly pollution. And they even have the tendency 
to accumulate. 

  Oh, and we are also using ~ for the files we have downloaded or saved from 
netscape. 

  On the other hand: .addressbook, .signature is already there, too. What I 
was proposing is to save these things in a visible place. I understand that 
this is more of a distribution problem, but we have a number of guys on this 
list who are doing exactly this: maybe they can comment on it. 

  I think that the whole thing boils down to deciding what should be visible 
and what should be hidden from the user. What I am arguing is that what in 
the real world is visible (addresses, scheduling info, documents, 
keys==passwords eg pgp keyring, wallet==electronic money should be visible in 
the GUI, too). 
   Concepts which are purely internal computer info (most of the .configs, 
lockfiles, communication sockets etc) should be hidden. They are better 
hidden as visible files in an invisible directory (configrc in .kde), than as 
so called invisible files in the home dir (.configrc in ~). 

                Lotzi 

>
> >   I am really asking only for the defaults - this is not binary
> > incompatible or anything.
> >
> > > Right - on the whole I think that "remove ~/.kde"  is a huge
> > > misconception. Do you know that I haven't done that for 3 years ? I
> > > still see this given as an advice, but I fail to see what it fixes.
> >
> >   Well: it fixes the fact that you don't have to give as an advice that
> > you should remove or edit .kde/share/config/kickerc etc. These advices
> > are scary for beginners. Normally a beginner would not know that the
> > panel is called kicker!
> >
> >                  Lotzi

-- 
----------------------------------------------------
Lotzi Boloni 

boloni@cplane.com   http://www.geocities.com/boloni2
----------------------------------------------------

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