On Sat, Jan 18, 2003 at 03:37:38PM +0700, Robert Elz wrote:
>     Date:        Fri, 17 Jan 2003 10:52:49 -0600
>     From:        Rob Windsor <windsor@warthog.com>
>     Message-ID:  <200301171652.h0HGqp804399@warthog.com>
> 
> The statement is simple, doesn't make the operation simple for the users.
> PATH is explained everywhere (elementary books, etc), and it is easy to
> work out what to set it to - XAPPLRESDIR ??
> 
>   | Ah yes, everyone types /path/to/my/binary, all the time.
> 
> That wasn't the point.   The point was that things work if they are
> invoked that way.   Nothing should ever require the existence of
> an env var to function (for at least basic functionality) (and that
> vi requires TERM set is a bug, it should operate in at least ex mode
> without it).
> 
>   | So you're telling us that "mount the foo filesystem union on top of the bar
>   | filesystem with the `hidden' flag" is easier for users
>   | than "set XAPPLSRESDIR to /usr/pkg/lib/X11/app-defaults"?
> 
> Of course it is, because the users don't do it, I do.   They do nothing
> at all.   Stuff just works.

  So, what's wrong with setting XAPPLSRESDIR in /etc/login.conf?  Or in the
system-wide shell startup files?  Users don't need to take any action at
all in that case either.  (Actually, there is one problem with the login.conf
case---openssh doesn't use it; but it's not too hard to hack sshd to fix
that.)

  I do like your union-mount idea too, though.

--Jim