[platform-update-dev] Re: [eclipse-dev] Planning Meeting Notes - Nov 12,

[Peter Manahan <manahan@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Moved to platform-update-dev for continuing
saga :-).

I've interjected some more comments
below. I am realizing that most do not know
that there are two .config directories
which may be where the confusion is.


Thanks,

-----------------------------------
Peter Manahan
WebSphere Tools
Build/Install and 
Product Architecture
------------------------------------
manahan@xxxxxxxxxx

Jan Schulz <jasc@xxxxxxx>
Sent by: eclipse-dev-admin@xxxxxxxxxxx

15/11/2003 10:58 AM

Please respond to
eclipse-dev

To	eclipse-dev@xxxxxxxxxxx
cc
Subject	Re: [eclipse-dev] Planning Meeting Notes - Nov 12, 2003

Hello,

* Peter Manahan <manahan@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I am not sure I understand what all the fuss is about.  The .config
dir 
> is
> not user information. It is eclipse system configuration. Allowing
> general
> users to modify that is like allowing just anyone to write to the
/etc
> dir.

In config is the infortmation, what 'sites' are installed. If that's saved
in
/etc, it means that users cannot specify a plugin dir relative to "$HOME".
<pm>
        There is more
that one .config. There is the system .config
        and then there
is the workspace .config. Whenever you create
        a new workspace
the system .config is used.
</pm>

.config is actually not something, which belongs to /etc, as it is
initialized by the programm and not by the admin (or package 
manager/programmers).

<pm>
        That is only true
for the workspace .config. The "-initialize" flag for
      eclipse was      
 created specifically to generate a common 
      .config dir by an installer.
        I was the one
that asked for it so I know this to be true.

        So for WSAD when
we used rpm to create an eclipse package for
        linux the post-install
step step was to run "eclipse -initialize" 
        to create "default"
user config.

        From a usability
perspective having eclipse showing the 
        "eclipse
completeling the install" splash seems to have 
        confused many
users. So a way was needed to freeze the default
        configuration
at install time. 
</pm>

> 1) root installs eclipse and in that process creates the .config via
> eclipse -initialize -data /tmp/workspace
> 2) user runs eclipse without error.
> for purists this is supposed to work (requires a wrapped eclipse 
> launcher)

Fun. Now considere a university, where the admin isntalls eclipse. Now
a 
user
wants to install a new plugin.
<pm>
        This was which
is why in 3.0 that eclipse is moving
        the workspace
.config out of the workspace and having a user
        based .config.
They system .config should still be there and
        should be created
by the administrator. That is it's purpose.

        Initially it wasn't
realized that people would use multiple
        workspaces instead
of just one. That is why there is so much 
      preference/user configuration
       information in the workspace 
     in 2.x. Eclipse 3.0 is supposed
to remove the user 
      configurations/preferences from
the workspace. 
</pm>

> 1) root install of eclipse
> 2) root then creates the .config in say /etc/eclipse/.config using
the
> -configuration flag "eclipse -initialize -data /tmp/workspace/
> -configuration /etc/eclipse"
> 3) user runs without error using the eclipse -configuration /etc/eclipse/
> -data $HOME/workspace.

So I will change my wrapper script in the enxt version, depending, what
is
actually written by initialize. AFAIK, Mozilla has something similar: 
Chrome
registry. AFAIK, this goes to /usr/share. This app is run after every 
upgrade
of a mozilla plugin/component

A /etc file would be something like the 'links/*links files or a config
file,
which specifes the default window system.
<pm>
        Agreed the links
files shouldn't be in the eclipse directory.
        There should be
a way to point to the links directory instead.
        The default windowing
system is motif so there isn't a need for
        that. WSAD stores
the user's current workspace and windowing system
        choices in a configuration
file in the users's home directory.
</pm>

> What eclipse is missing is the user portion of this which right now
is 
> per workspace rather than per user.

Yes, that is missing too.

Jan
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