Re: Massproducing Gnome user environments.

[jcromwell us ibm com]

I tried a while back but eventually gave up...it certainly would be desirable.

"Stan Brown" <stanb@awod.com> on 08/31/99 07:00:00 PM

To:   gnome-list@gnome.org
cc:
Subject:  Massproducing Gnome user environments.





     Is this really as big a mess as it seems to be?

     Looks like i have hard code refernces to the sample users home direcoty
     (not ~) in the folowing files:


./.gnome/session:0,CurrentDirectory=/home/acampbell
Binary file ./.gnome/metadata.db matches
./.gnome/panel.d/default/Applet_Config:parameters=/home/acampbell/.gnome//panel.d/default/Applet_2.desktop

./.gnome/gmc-IGd12H:cwd=/home/acampbell
./.enlightenment/.usr.share.enlightenment.config.menus.cfg.preparsed:2 999;  710
"BACKGROUNDS_MENU"  "ROOT_IMAGE" "dirscan"
/home/acampbell"/.enlightenment/backgrounds"
./.mc/history:0=/home/acampbell
./.mc/ini:[/home/acampbell]
./.mc/Tree:1:/home
./.netscape/preferences.js:user_pref("news.directory", "/home/acampbell/");
./.balsarc:    Outbox = {Type = local;Name = Outbox;Path =
"/home/acampbell/Mail/outbox";};

     Fair enough, that's a sed script task, but wait what about that binary
     file :-(

     Then ther is this sym link, agaoin to the home direcotry "Home
     direcotyr" isn't that special

     Then after fixing all of these, the desktop icons are broken. I suspect
     something in that magic binary file, again.

     Guys this looks like somethign microsloth would try to push off on the
     world.

     If Gnome is to be a serrious tool to be deployed by real working system
     administraotrs, then there has to be a better way to create the desired
     initial environment for the many, many users we support.

     There are lot's of tools for doing this for all teh clasic . files, and
     they are based upon sed scripts etc, to edit the required flat files.

     2 sugestions:

     1. Replace the hard coded home dircetory refernces with ~

     2. Kill the magic binary file, or if it's _absolutley_ necesary treat
     it like the compiled kill file in nn. That is there is a flat file
     source, and if that is newer thna the binary, upon startup recreate the
     binary.

     Am I really the first person to try to deploy this stuff for multiple
     suers?

--
Stan Brown     stanb@netcom.com                                    843-745-3154
Westvaco
Charleston SC.
--
Windows 98: n.
     useless extension to a minor patch release for 32-bit extensions and
     a graphical shell for a 16-bit patch to an 8-bit operating system
     originally coded for a 4-bit microprocessor, written by a 2-bit
     company that can't stand for 1 bit of competition.
-
(c) 1999 Stan Brown.  Redistribution via the Microsoft Network is prohibited.


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