xsrc/44456: /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled should be empty directory

[rhialto%falu.nl@localhost]

>Number:         44456
>Category:       xsrc
>Synopsis:       /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled should be empty directory
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    xsrc-manager
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Jan 25 01:00:00 +0000 2011
>Originator:     Rhialto
>Release:        NetBSD 5.1
>Organization:
        
>Environment:
        
        
System: NetBSD radl.falu.nl 5.1 NetBSD 5.1 
(Radl-s_Pervasion_of_the_Incorrect_Chord) #0: Mon Jan 24 20:25:13 CET 2011 
root%vargaz.falu.nl@localhost:/usr/src/sys/arch/amd64/compile/RADL5.1 amd64
Architecture: x86_64
Machine: amd64
>Description:
        /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled should be empty directory

        I had re-extracted the X tarballs from NetBSD/amd64 5.0.1.
        Then I had problems with xkb keyboard options and layouts
        (meaning: they failed to work at all).
        After some hair-pulling, while comparing with a backup of a
        previously working installation, I discovered that I didn't have
        the directory /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled.

        I looked in the tarballs of some previous releases. This is what
        I found:

        4.0: present (as X11R6), with a README inside
        5.0: missing
        5.0.1: missing
        5.1: bad symlink: ./usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled ->
            /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb. It is bad for multiple reasons:
            - absolute path, where relative is better;
            - points to existing directory, which is bad for access
              control, and any files created in it may clash with the
              files that are already present.

        This make the 4.0 release the last one that had it right.
        The README explains:

            The X server uses this directory to store the compiled version of 
the
            current keymap and/or any scratch keymaps used by clients.  The X 
server
            or some other tool might destroy or replace the files in this 
directory,
            so it is not a safe place to store compiled keymaps for long 
periods of
            time.  The default keymap for any server is usually stored in:
                X<num>-default.xkm
            where <num> is the display number of the server in question, which 
makes
            it possible for several servers *on the same host* to share the 
same 
            directory.

            Unless the X server is modified, sharing this directory between 
servers on
            different hosts could cause problems.


>How-To-Repeat:
        re-extract x*.tgz tarballs from distribution
>Fix:
        # rm /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled
        # mkdir /usr/X11R7/lib/X11/xkb/compiled

        Add something to LAST_MINUTE.txt.

-Olaf.
-- 
___ Olaf 'Rhialto' Seibert  -- There's no point being grown-up if you 
\X/ rhialto/at/xs4all.nl    -- can't be childish sometimes. -The 4th Doctor

>Unformatted: