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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Roaming user fixes
From:       Ferdinand Gassauer <gassauer () kde ! org>
Date:       2003-06-22 6:37:26
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On Saturday 21 June 2003 23:28, Helge Deller wrote:
> A few people have asked me, what those "roaming user fixes" are all about.
> Please let me try to explain the current problem.
>
> All KDE applications use the functions readEntry()/writeEntry() to store
> values into configuration files under ~/.kde/share/config.
> Mostly this is no problem, but as soon as hardcoded paths are stored, the
> application is bound to the given path and you might run into problems
> later.
>
> Let's take as example the addressbook configuration file
> (~/.kde/share/config/kabcrc):
>
> [Resource_E9zrABCiHc]
> FileName=/home/deller/.kde/share/apps/kabc/std.vcf
>
> This means, that as long as my home directory is /home/deller, I'll have no
> problems at all. But as soon as e.g. the system administrator changes (and
> copies) my home directory to e.g. /mnt/homes/deller, this path is wrong and
> I won't be able to access my addressbook any longer without reconfiguration
> of kaddressbook and all other apps which use similiar absolute paths in
> their configuration files. Esp. on workstations attached to big networks
> and with user home directories on NFS such situations might happen more
> often and the solution is pretty simple:
>
> [Resource_E9zrABCiHc]
> FileName=$HOME/.kde/share/apps/kabc/std.vcf
>
> In this case, calling readPathEntry() instead of readEntry() will
> automatically expand $HOME to the full home directory path, and
> writePathEntry(/home/deller/.kde/share/apps/kabc/std.vcf) will store the
> string $HOME instead of "/home/deller" in the config file.
> This forth-and-back conversion happens absolutely transparent to the
> application and no other changes other than changing the necessary
> readEntry()/writeEntry() calls to the corresponding
> readPathEntry()/writePathEntry() calls are needed. The applications
> themself will use and see at runtime the current home directory only.
> writePathEntry() and readPathEntry() will change strings which contain the
> user's current home directory only. Other values are not changed and the
> functions will behave exactly as readEntry()/writeEntry() in this case.
>
> One nice benefit of this change is of course, that you now will be able to
> copy your current & favorite KDE configuration (icons, default paths,
> font-configuration,...) directly to your best friend by just directly
> copying the .kde subdirectory :-)
>
> Best regards,
> Helge
>
> >> Visit http://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-devel#unsub to
> >> unsubscribe <<
Just want to know your thoughts about all other files/directories which are 
placed in $HOME. 

Some of them are user defined (2), some of them are system generated (1) like 
"recent files"

Examples:
for (1)
kuickshowrc:DocDirectory=/home/gassauer
kuickshowrc:CurrentDirectory=file:/home/gassauer/bilder/fg/
for (2)
kwordrc:backup path=/home/gassauer/backup/


-- 
cu
ferdinand
http://www.goesing.at
 
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