Re: GNOME universe
Montreal Thu Mar 18 03:46:08 1999
Greg Stark <gsstark@mit.edu> wrote:
>
> Jules Bean <jmlb2@hermes.cam.ac.uk> writes:
> >
> > OK. paper.config is probably name-space pollution.
>
> Thesis: ``Namespace pollution'' is good.
That's one stupid title for a thesis. :)
> This is not windows where each package installs into Program Files
> and has its own proprietary data that no other program can use. This
> is Unix where all these files have open well-specified formats. If
> you have two Corba servers they should use the same format data
> files and be fully interoperable. If you have a paper configuration
> file every program should use it.
Oh nonsense. You're not fooling anyone if you think the GNOME guys
will think twice before changing the format of /etc/paper.config.
There aren't even comments in the file describing what the damn thing
is. Where is the manpage that describes the specs?
If it's interoperability you're after, then by all means define some
semblance of a standard and make it public. If the standard is good,
I'd have no objections to namespace clobbering or at least I'd be less
inclined to voice them. As it is right now, my /etc/ seems on its way
to turning into a hodge-podge of meaningless files.
If everyone had this attitude, the resulting collisions and chaos
wouldn't be that hard to imagine. I'd like to think it's common
sense, but perhaps I shouldn't go as far as that.
-N.
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