Re: What should go in dot files

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> [...], I'd really like to hear your arguments as to what and why
> should go in the dot files under /etc/skel.

It makes no real practical difference to me, of course, since (like
many experienced users) I carry my own environment around.

You have a point, that the skel files are suggestions to new users for
what they might want to change.  What we have is not really much good
for that, though.

I think the files should be _nothing but_ comments, with a lot of
natural language interspersed with examples.

# Example .cshrc fragments.  This file is intended for per-user
#  customization; the examples given here are just that, examples,
#  neither mandatory nor exhaustive.  If you want to use example lines
#  given here, edit this file to remove the initial # from the relevant
#  line or lines.  (You may find you have to log out and back in again
#  for such a change to take effect.)
#
# References of the form "cat(1)" or "strcmp(3)" refer to manpages.
#  See man(1), which you can see with the command "man man", for an
#  overview of manpages and how to read them.  In general, if the
#  reference is to name(N), "man N name" will show you the page.
#
# Many people find `convenience' aliases for ls to be, well,
#  convenient.  Here are some popular examples; see the ls(1) manpage
#  for details of the options available here.
#
#       alias la        ls -a
#       alias lf        ls -FA
#       alias ll        ls -lA
#
# Numerous environment variables affect the behaviour of various
#  programs.  See environ(7) for some of the more important and
#  widespread examples; individual programs' manpages describe what
#  environment variables, if any, programs use.  A few possibilities:
#
#       setenv EDITOR vi
#       setenv BLOCKSIZE 1k
#       setenv PAGER less
#
...etc

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