Re: MiNT goes UNIX. I hope not.

[walra%moacs11@relay.NL.net (Waldi Ravens)]

In <199401171650.AA21237@ruulot.let.ruu.nl>, Annius Goenink wrote:

>> There will be no more "I downloaded package X but I can't get it working on
>> my system" or "which environment variable does this package use to find the
>> temporary directory" questions as the paths can be hard-coded. The OS does
>> all the fiddly bits of working out which drive /tmp or /var/spool/mail etc
>> are on. This is as it should be. Let the OS, not the user, take the strain,
>> that's what it's there for.
>
> No, there will be 'which hard-coded directory does package X use?  It doesn't
> seem to work.  Well, let's take a hex editor and check out the binary.'
> We should find a solution which uses neither hard-coding nor environment
> variables.

The current mechanism, looking for an enironment variable first and use a
hardcoded path if it ain't there, is not to bad. Only the way in which to
decide what the builtin path must look like should be standardised, at the
moment it's a bit chaotic, to say the least.

Ofcourse some sort of standard configuration tool to modify the hardcoded
paths (and other things as well) is very welcome. It enhances the flexibi-
lity of the system. And I don't mean make+compiler+assembler+linker+...,
but one simple tool, that doesn't need a lot of resources.


Regards,
           Waldi  (walra%moacs11@nl.net)