X-Window/XTerm and environement variables

[Michelle Konzack <linux4michelle@freenet.de>]

Dear X-Maintainers and X-Developers,

before I fill up the BTS I want to clarify some (security) problems
on the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
1st problem
===========
Because I am working in a secured environement, XTerm break it,
while droping the TEMPDIR variable which was set from /etc/profile,
~/.bash_login or ~/.xsession.

Generaly it is set using:

    mkdir -p      /tmp/$USER
    chmod 700     /tmp/$USER
    export TMPDIR=/tmp/$USER


--------------------------------------------------------------------
2nd problem
===========
Then the Variable MANPATH is eaten by X-Window.  We are using
heavyly private manpages from ~/man and using in the configs

    if test -z "$MANPATH" ; then export MANPATH=`manpath` ; fi

Under Woody it was working, but now under Sarge, I can not more read
my private Manpages using xman.  Opening a XTerm, show me, that
$MANPATH is droped.  Testing it with

    echo $MANPATH |xmessage -file -

from the "menu" system, a configured menu or a button in fvwm, give
me an empty xmessage window.

Running a xterm and executing 'bash -l' and then the above command
with xmessage show me the right MANPATH

/home/michelle.konzack/man:/usr/share/man:/usr/X11R6/man:/usr/local/man
--------------------------------------------------------------------


I think, running all the time 'xterm -e bash -l -c <command>' is NO
solution to get the right environement.

Please note, that one of my colleague (at the french army) has
allready DoS'ed me as he encountered, my "mutt" was not working
inside the /tmp/$USER directory but in /tmp.

This two are the most anoying bugs under X-Window and Xterm.  I think,
they should be corected before the new Release "Etch" coming out.

Greetings
    Michelle Konzack


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